Here are five things to know:
1. These findings were presented by the Department of Public Health to Burlington-based Massachusetts Coalition for the Prevention of Medical Errors.
2. About 1,000 cases of healthcare worker injury per year add up to more than 21,500 lost days.
3. In 2010 alone, Massachusetts healthcare workers suffered patient handling injuries so severe they resulted in 59 years of missed days of work.
4. Only 44 percent of the state’s hospitals have policies in place to prevent handling injuries, according to a DPH task force report.
5. More than 70 percent of employers cite the time involved in implementing safe patient handling practices as the key barrier to providing necessary equipment to workers to prevent these injuries.
More articles on quality & infection control:
Emory Johns Creek Hospital accepts patient safety award: 7 observations
5 things to know about nurses forgoing infection control measures
UL offers new standard on health and safety integration: 5 takeaways
