A study analyzed patient safety reports with sick children in England and Wales, published in PLOS Medicine. Wales-based Cardiff University researchers discovered several areas for primary care providers to enhance pediatric care.
The study encompassed 2,191 primary care patient safety reports involving children under 18 years old between 2003 and 2013.
Here are four observations:
1. Of the 2,191 safety reports, 658 proved harmful.
2. Children involved in these safety incidents were often being checked out for respiratory conditions, injuries or non-specific symptoms.
3. Medication errors accounted for 31.9 percent of the adverse events, with diagnosis and assessment errors accounting for 23.4 percent of patient safety incidents.
4. The researchers pinpointed the following areas for improvement:
• Safer systems for medication provision in community pharmacies
• Enhanced triage processes during out-of-hours services
• Improved communication between providers and parents
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