Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz
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Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz · Jan 2015
[Patient safety in education and training of healthcare professionals in Germany].
In order to improve patient safety, healthcare professionals who care for patients directly or indirectly are required to possess specific knowledge and skills. Patient safety education is not or only poorly represented in education and examination regulations of healthcare professionals in Germany; therefore, it is only practiced rarely and on a voluntary basis. Meanwhile, several training curricula and concepts have been developed in the past 10 years internationally and recently in Germany, too. ⋯ This catalogue will serve as an important orientation when patient safety is to be implemented as a subject of professional education in Germany in the future. Moreover, teaching staff has to be trained and educational and training activities have to be evaluated. Patient safety education and training for (undergraduate) healthcare professional will require capital investment.
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Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz · Jan 2015
[In the aftermath of medical error: caring for patients, family, and the healthcare workers involved].
Medical errors, in particular those resulting in harm, pose a serious situation for patients ("first victims") and the healthcare workers involved ("second victims") and can have long-lasting and distressing consequences. To prevent a second traumatization, appropriate and empathic interaction with all persons involved is essential besides error analysis. Patients share a nearly universal, broad preference for a complete disclosure of incidents, regardless of age, gender, or education. ⋯ Communication with peers is vital for people to be able to cope constructively and protectively with harmful errors. Survey studies among healthcare workers show, however, that they often do not receive sufficient individual and institutional support. Healthcare organizations should prepare for medical errors and harmful events and implement a communication plan and a support system that covers the requirements and different needs of patients and the staff involved.
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Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz · Dec 2014
[Safe reprocessing of medical devices with a view of the entire process chain. Recommendations of the VDI 5700 guidelines].
The reprocessing of medical devices for low pathogen or sterile use is in itself potentially risky even though the aim of reprocessing is the avoidance of hygienic or technically functional risks. The methodological principles of risk management for medical devices are described in the standard DIN EN ISO 14971. ⋯ The aim was a practical combination of the normative risk management methodology with the process-oriented KRINKO/BfArM recommendations, which has provided an interdisciplinary group of experts moderated by the Association of German Engineers (VDI). The main contents of the VDI 5700 guidelines on "hazards associated with the reprocessing--risk management in the reprocessing of medical devices--measures for risk control" and the process of the development of these guidelines is described.
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Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz · Dec 2014
[Future trend medical apps. From the apps store directly into medical practice?].
In day to day medical care, patients, nursing staff and doctors currently face a bewildering and rapidly growing number of health-related apps running on various "smart" devices and there are also uncountable possibilities for the use of such technology. Concerning regulation, a risk-based approach is applied for development and use (including safety and security considerations) of medical and health-related apps. Considering safety-related issues as well as organizational matters, this is a sensible approach but requires honest self-assessment as well as a high degree of responsibility, networking and good quality management by all those involved. ⋯ This can for example result in unwanted advertising or unauthorized access to the stored data by third parties; therefore, local, regional and international regulatory measures need to be applied in order to ensure safe use of medical apps in all possible areas, including the operating room (OR) with its highly specialized demands. Lawmakers need to include impulses from all stakeholders in their considerations and this should include input from existing private initiatives that already deal with the use and evaluation of apps in a medical context. Of course, this process needs to respect pre-existing national, European as well as international (harmonized) standards.
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Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz · Nov 2014
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyCollection of vaccination data in the German National Cohort : Findings of a feasibility study in three study centers.
Data about the vaccination status of participants are required in epidemiological cohort studies whenever infection or immunity is considered as potential exposure or outcome. Within Pretest 2 of the German National Cohort (GNC) we therefore investigated the acceptance and feasibility of extracting vaccination status from vaccination certificates provided by the participants of the study. ⋯ The reliable documentation of vaccinations within the context of the GNC proved to be feasible and thus recommendable at a large scale within the GNC as participants showed high willingness and compliance in providing available vaccination documents. An additional validation by means of documents provided by physicians seems to be possible for more than a quarter of participants. In order to maximize the likelyhood of participants' of bringing their vaccination certificates it would be sufficient to send a reminder card together with the appointment letter.