Patient Safety & Quality
Narrative systematic review: Benefits of medication charts provided at transitions of care
25 Oct, 2020 | 23:29h | UTC
Study: Low risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission among coworkers in a surgical environment
23 Oct, 2020 | 09:05h | UTCRisk of SARS-CoV-2 Transmission Among Coworkers in a Surgical Environment – Mayo Clinic Proceedings
Professionalism revealed: Rethinking quality improvement in the wake of a pandemic
22 Oct, 2020 | 09:32h | UTCProfessionalism Revealed: Rethinking Quality Improvement in the Wake of a Pandemic – NEJM Catalyst
Video consultations in primary and specialist care during the covid-19 pandemic and beyond
21 Oct, 2020 | 09:30h | UTCVideo consultations in primary and specialist care during the covid-19 pandemic and beyond – The BMJ
[Abstract Only] Study: Excess days in acute care provide a more comprehensive picture of hospital performance compared to 30-day readmission rates
21 Oct, 2020 | 09:04h | UTCEvaluation of Hospital Performance Using the Excess Days in Acute Care Measure in the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program – Annals of Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentaries: Excess Days in Acute Care Provide More Comprehensive Picture of Hospital Performance Compared to 30-day Readmission Rates – AboutHealthTransparency.org AND EDAC: A ’More Comprehensive Picture of Hospital Use’ – Physician’s Weekly
Review: The duration of infectiousness of individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2
15 Oct, 2020 | 09:26h | UTCThe duration of infectiousness of individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 – Journal of Infection
Commentary on Twitter
🔥NEW Review🔥#COVID19 pts with mild-to-moderate illness are highly unlikely to be infectious beyond 10 ds from symptom onset , However, limited studies found that Immunocompromised and severe-to-critical patients may be infectious for >10 days https://t.co/hogXvFpPEb pic.twitter.com/fBm5Se4RBf
— Antibiotic Steward Bassam Ghanem 🅱️C🆔🅿️🌟 (@ABsteward) October 13, 2020
Study: Polypharmacy (taking > 10 medications) is common in older patients with heart failure
15 Oct, 2020 | 09:03h | UTCPolypharmacy in Older Adults Hospitalized for Heart Failure – Circulation: Heart Failure
Commentaries: Ten or more medications, often prescribed to older heart failure patients, raises concerns – American Heart Association AND Polypharmacy Common Among Older Heart Failure Patients – Physician’s Weekly
Commentary on Twitter
New work from @OzanUnluMD @ParagGoyalMD indicates that polypharmacy (taking > 10 medications) is common in older patients with #heartfailure, and is primarily due to non-cardiovascular meds #AHAJournals @WeillCornell | https://t.co/hL0GZLaCnT pic.twitter.com/BHppxDQgor
— Circ: Heart Failure (@CircHF) October 13, 2020
Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine study paused due to unexplained illness in participant
14 Oct, 2020 | 09:31h | UTCJohnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine study paused due to unexplained illness in participant – STAT
News Release: Johnson & Johnson Temporarily Pauses All Dosing in Our Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate Clinical Trials
Commentaries: Johnson & Johnson ‘Pauses’ COVID-19 Vaccine Trial Due To Unexplained Illness In Participant; Eli Lilly Reportedly Suspending Trial Of Antibody Treatment – Health Policy Watch AND Johnson & Johnson pauses Covid-19 vaccine trial after ‘unexplained illness’ – CNN
Monoclonal antibody trial halted for safety concern
14 Oct, 2020 | 09:30h | UTCMonoclonal Antibody Trial Halted for Safety Concern – Brief19
Meta-analysis: Association of receipt of palliative care interventions with health care use, quality of life, and symptom burden among adults with chronic noncancer illness
14 Oct, 2020 | 09:18h | UTCEditorial: Palliative Care for Patients With Noncancer Illnesses
Commentary on Twitter
In this meta-analysis of RCTs of patients with primarily noncancer illness (mostly heart failure) palliative care was associated w less acute health care use & lower symptom burden, with no difference in quality of life https://t.co/ZtH6w48vz4 @kieranlquinn
— JAMA (@JAMA_current) October 13, 2020
Cohort study: ‘COVID-19 free’ hospital areas linked to improved outcomes in elective cancer surgery
12 Oct, 2020 | 00:48h | UTCCommentary: ‘COVID-19 free’ hospital areas could save lives after surgery, global study finds – University of Birmingham
Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study
12 Oct, 2020 | 00:34h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter
DecubICUs study results: pressure injuries common in adult #ICU: 59.2% ICU-acquired, prevalence 16.2%.
Optimal care standards, increased awareness, proper resource allocation, focused research pivotal to tackle this main #ptsafety threat @StijnBLOT @ESICM https://t.co/gfJ9x06dnB pic.twitter.com/bUeOVwoVxk— Intensive Care Medicine (@yourICM) October 9, 2020
Face masks: what the data say
7 Oct, 2020 | 09:17h | UTCFace masks: what the data say – Nature
Commentary on Twitter
#Facemasks: what the data say.#Masks work, but they are not infallible.
You decrease your risk of contagion if you wear them properly AND apply other #hygiene measures, keep your physical distance, and ventilate indoor spaces well.#covid #covid19
https://t.co/uNqehIC2pF— Vanessa Campo-Ruiz, MD PhD (@VCSTX) October 6, 2020
Updated CDC Guidance: How COVID-19 Spreads
6 Oct, 2020 | 00:59h | UTCHow COVID-19 Spreads – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Commentary: CDC revises coronavirus guidance to acknowledge that it spreads through airborne transmission – CNBC
Review: Prehabilitation for the Anesthesiologist
6 Oct, 2020 | 00:07h | UTCPrehabilitation for the Anesthesiologist – Anesthesiology
Commentary on Twitter
Review by Dr. Carli @mcgillanesth focuses on fast-track and enhanced recovery after surgery protocols https://t.co/ItIe8RLDL7 pic.twitter.com/lGhq8Xll7I
— Anesthesiology (@_Anesthesiology) August 28, 2020
De-adopting low-value care: Evidence, eminence, and economics
4 Oct, 2020 | 23:20h | UTCDe-adopting Low-Value Care: Evidence, Eminence, and Economics – JAMA (free for a limited period)
Author Interview: De-Adopting Low-Value Care—Evidence, Eminence, and Economics
Commentary on Twitter
Evidence alone is NOT sufficient for many healthcare professionals to abandon low-value treatments that provide little or no benefit to patients.
Often it's only when their financial reimbursement is reduced or stopped that their use declines quickly. https://t.co/YiggZyqUMp
— The Sp⚽️rts Physio (@AdamMeakins) October 3, 2020
Delivering cancer care during the covid-19 pandemic: recommendations and lessons learned from ASCO global webinars
2 Oct, 2020 | 09:19h | UTC
Systematic review: The effectiveness and cost‐effectiveness of hospital‐based specialist palliative care for adults with advanced illness and their caregivers
1 Oct, 2020 | 08:58h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter
Cochrane review on hospital-based specialist palliative care. Findings: Improved HR-QoL and patient satisfaction, reduced symptom burden and depression, and increased chances of patients dying in their preferred place. @SBajwah @cochranecollab https://t.co/wjhGp0gcbs
— Olaf Geerse (@OlafGeerse) September 30, 2020
Perspective: The incompatibility of patient-centered care with fee-for-service payment
29 Sep, 2020 | 09:57h | UTCThe Incompatibility of Patient-Centered Care With Fee-for-Service Payment – JAMA Internal Medicine
Commentary on Twitter
Deeply moving, beautiful, insightful article. The US health care system MUST change the way we pay. That's the only way we will improve health, give the right care, and restore the centrality of care-giving.https://t.co/5cc59glIMm
— Dr. Tom Frieden (@DrTomFrieden) September 28, 2020
Characteristics of health care personnel with COVID-19 in the US
28 Sep, 2020 | 01:34h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter
New @CDCMMWR shows 100,570 #COVID19 cases, with 641 deaths, among healthcare personnel from Feb 12-July 16. In 6 states, most worked in nursing & residential care facilities, and nurses were the most commonly reported job type.https://t.co/86DC1uz4ye pic.twitter.com/7JogA8MjXt
— CDC (@CDCgov) September 24, 2020
Hospital COVID-19 risk lowest among intensive care staff
22 Sep, 2020 | 09:53h | UTCHospital COVID-19 risk lowest among intensive care staff – MedicalXpress
Original Study: SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and asymptomatic viral carriage in healthcare workers: a cross-sectional study – Thorax
Commentary on Twitter
HOT OF THE PRESS@ThoraxBMJ#Covid19UK#NHS hospital staff
Asymptomatic viral carriage
2.4%Seroprevalence
▶️ Housekeeping 34.5%
▶️ Acute medicine 33.3%
▶️ General internal medicine 30.3%
▶️ Intensive care 14.8%#protectNHSstaff#protectNHSpatientshttps://t.co/iqBKl3qLYD— Prof. Nicholas Hart (@NickHartGSTT) September 12, 2020
Ensuring adequate palliative and hospice care during COVID-19 surges
22 Sep, 2020 | 09:57h | UTCEnsuring Adequate Palliative and Hospice Care During COVID-19 Surges – JAMA
Commentary on Twitter
An ethical approach to #pandemic surge planning requires providing for patients seeking symptom relief & comfort at the end of life. Not to do so undermines patient, family trust, emotional health, and core values of society https://t.co/P0LeYuZwzt @MatthewWynia @CUPallCare
— JAMA (@JAMA_current) September 22, 2020
Editorial: Two remedies for inappropriate percutaneous coronary intervention—closing the gap between evidence and practice
22 Sep, 2020 | 09:28h | UTCEditorial: Two Remedies for Inappropriate Percutaneous Coronary Intervention—Closing the Gap Between Evidence and Practice (free for a limited period)
Original Studies: Potential Association of the ISCHEMIA Trial With the Appropriate Use Criteria Ratings for Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Stable Ischemic Heart Disease – JAMA Internal Medicine (free for a limited period) AND US False Claims Act Investigations of Unnecessary Percutaneous Coronary Interventions – JAMA Internal Medicine (free for a limited period)
Increased patient safety-related incidents following the transition into daylight savings time
22 Sep, 2020 | 09:22h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter
As if it wasn’t bad enough we have to change the few remaining analog clocks twice a year due to daylight savings time (DST); DST change leads to about 19% more patient safety incidents in the following week attributed to human error. #PatientSafety https://t.co/YBFtgjgsLT
— David (@ResearchMohr) September 15, 2020
WHO: Keep health workers safe to keep patients safe
18 Sep, 2020 | 09:26h | UTCKeep health workers safe to keep patients safe – World Health Organization
See also: World Patient Safety Day Campaign
Commentaries on Twitter
No country, hospital or clinic can keep patients safe unless it keeps #healthworkers safe.
Today, @WHO launched a health worker safety charter to ensure they have safe working conditions, training, pay & the respect they deserve.https://t.co/3Fks43r4JN #WorldPatientSafetyDay— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) September 17, 2020


