Journal of patient safety
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Journal of patient safety · Mar 2011
ReviewLeading clinical handover improvement: a change strategy to implement best practices in the acute care setting.
Many contemporary acute care facilities lack safe and effective clinical handover practices resulting in patient transitions that are vulnerable to discontinuities in care, medical errors, and adverse patient safety events. This article is intended to supplement existing handover improvement literature by providing practical guidance for leaders and managers who are seeking to improve the safety and the effectiveness of clinical handovers in the acute care setting. ⋯ Although gaps in handover process and function knowledge remain, efforts to improve handover safety and effectiveness are still possible. Continued evaluation is critical in building this understanding and to ensure that practice changes lead to improvements in patient safety, organizational effectiveness, and patient and provider satisfaction. Through handover knowledge building, fundamental changes in handover policies and practices may be possible.
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Journal of patient safety · Mar 2011
Older patients' understanding of emergency department discharge information and its relationship with adverse outcomes.
To describe older patients' understanding of emergency department (ED) discharge information and to explore the relationship between understanding of ED discharge information and adverse outcomes. ⋯ A substantial number of older patients, or proxies, may not understand ED discharge information, and this could have an effect on patient outcomes. Strategies are needed to improve communication of ED discharge information to older patients and their families.
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Journal of patient safety · Mar 2011
Improving vital sign documentation at triage: an emergency department quality improvement project.
Improving the quality and safety of patients seen in an emergency department (ED) has become a priority in Italy. The Tuscan Regional Health Ministry has supported quality improvement projects in several Tuscan EDs in cooperation with Harvard Medical International and Harvard Medical School. ⋯ Creating a multidisciplinary team and implementing a formal quality improvement project improved vital sign documentation at triage for a group of patients seen during ED triage in 1 Italian hospital.