Here are five things to know:
1. “Free from Harm” calls attention to the patient safety lessons learned over the past decade-and-a-half, as well as reminding healthcare providers that many of the same issues initially spotlighted still remain.
2. Although EMS is not specifically mentioned in the report, given the increased focus that the care continuum receives, it stands to reason that EMS is clumped with other outpatient providers.
3. Beyond the occasional special section in journals like Prehospital Emergency Care, the EMS industry isn’t known for patient safety research, but that tone is changing.
4. An increased focus on the safety of providers seems to be causing a paradigm shift that is allowing EMS to look at patient safety just as closely.
5. Here are the recommendations laid out in the report:
- Ensure that leaders establish and sustain a culture of safety.
- Create centralized and coordinated oversight of patient safety.
- Create a common set of safety metrics that reflect meaningful outcomes.
- Increase funding for research in patient safety and implementation science.
- Address safety across the entire care continuum.
- Support the healthcare workforce.
- Partner with patients and families for the safest care.
- Ensure that technology is safe and optimized to improve patient safety.
More articles on quality & infection control:
Southern Illinois University to start healthcare safety course: 3 points
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5 things to know about the new test detecting pathogens in patients at high risk of infection
