Journal of hospital medicine : an official publication of the Society of Hospital Medicine
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Monitor alarms occur frequently but rarely warrant intervention. ⋯ Safety huddle-based alarm discussions did not influence unit-level alarm rates due to low intervention dose but were effective in reducing alarms for individual children.
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Failure to follow up test results pending at discharge (TPAD) from hospitals or emergency departments is a major patient safety concern. The purpose of this review is to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of interventions to improve follow-up of laboratory TPAD. We conducted literature searches in PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane, and EMBASE using search terms for relevant health care settings, transition of patient care, laboratory tests, communication, and pending or missed tests. ⋯ We also found that automated notifications improved awareness of TPAD. The interventions were supported by suggestive evidence; this type of evidence is below the level of evidence required for LMBP™ recommendations. We encourage additional research into the impact of these interventions on key processes and health outcomes.
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Recent high-profile mass casualty events illustrate the unique challenges that such occurrences pose to normal hospital operations. These events create patient surges that overwhelm hospital resources, space, and staff. ⋯ This review aims to provide hospitalists with an overview of disaster management principles so that they can engage their hospitals' disaster management system with a working fluency in emergency management and the incident command system. This review also proposes a framework for hospitalist involvement in preparation, response, and coordination during periods of crisis.