BMJ quality & safety
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BMJ quality & safety · Oct 2012
The effects of a 'discharge time-out' on the quality of hospital discharge summaries.
High-quality discharge summaries are a key component of a safe transition in care. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of standardised feedback and a 'discharge time-out' (DTO) on the quality of discharge summaries. ⋯ These results suggest that standardised feedback and a DTO integrated into attending rounds have limited potential to improve discharge summaries as currently designed. This study stresses the need for developing and refining interventions that can improve the narrative flow of discharge summaries.
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BMJ quality & safety · Oct 2012
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyIdentifying and categorising patient safety hazards in cardiovascular operating rooms using an interdisciplinary approach: a multisite study.
Cardiac surgery is a complex, high-risk procedure with potential vulnerabilities for patient safety. The evidence base describing safety hazards in the cardiovascular operating room is underdeveloped but is essential to guide future safety improvement efforts. ⋯ Hazards in cardiac surgery services are ubiquitous, indicating numerous opportunities to improve safety. Future efforts should focus on creating a stronger culture of safety in the cardiovascular operating room, increasing compliance with evidence-based infection control practices, improving communication and teamwork, and developing a partnership among all stakeholders to improve the design of tools and technologies.
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BMJ quality & safety · Oct 2012
An institution-wide handoff task force to standardise and improve physician handoffs.
Transfers of care have become increasingly frequent and complex with shorter inpatient stays and changes in work hour regulations. Potential hazards exist with transfers. There are few reports of institution-wide efforts to improve handoffs. ⋯ The handoff task force infrastructure has enabled the authors to take an institution-wide approach to improving handoffs. The task force has improved patient care by addressing handoffs systematically and consistently and has helped create new strategies for minimising risk in handoffs.
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BMJ quality & safety · Oct 2012
Anaesthetic drug administration as a potential contributor to healthcare-associated infections: a prospective simulation-based evaluation of aseptic techniques in the administration of anaesthetic drugs.
To evaluate the possibility that anaesthetists are administering potentially pathogenic micro-organisms to their patients. ⋯ The administration of intravenous drugs during anaesthesia may be an important factor in the genesis (or potentially the prevention) of healthcare-associated infection. These observations suggest room for improvement in the aseptic techniques of at least some anaesthetists when preparing and administering intravenous drugs. Confirmation of these findings in clinical settings is needed. STUDY REGISTRY NUMBER (FOR THE VASER STUDY): Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: Ref: ACTRN 12609000530224, https://www.anzctr.org.au/registry/trial_review.aspx?ID=308128; note that the work presented here is a subset of the registered trial and its outcomes were not included in this registration.