5 Ways to Strengthen Discharge Instructions to Avoid Harm, Sepsis Podcast, Case Study, and More

1.

Ensure that instructions are clearly documented in writing.

2.

Be very specific about when and with whom the patient should follow up.

3.

Identify any pending lab tests with specific information about how to locate the result.

4.

Ensure that instructions are patient-specific, relevant, and easy to implement.

5.

If the patient is to perform an important at-home task, observe them practicing prior to discharge and provide further instruction if needed.

Read more: Unclear Discharge Instructions, Patient Loses Foot

Harvard Researcher: Hospitals Can Do Better Diagnosing Deadly Sepsis

September is Sepsis Awareness Month, recognizing the need for health care providers to be aware of the dangers sepsis poses to their patients. This episode of Safety Net takes a look at some of the shortcomings when it comes to sepsis diagnosis and ways to fix them, with Michael Filbin, MD, a researcher and emergency medicine doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital. How looking for sepsis can save lives...

Misread and Missed Opportunities

A 55-year-old man’s lung cancer diagnosis was delayed by five years after an initial X-ray was misread and no follow-up study was performed. What went wrong?

Back To Court after COVID-19: Uncertainty and a Back Seat for Malpractice Case

COVID-19 has had a profound impact on the legal system since the pandemic interrupted normal operations in Spring of 2020, with over 3,700 cases delayed in trial courts across the Commonwealth. We spoke with Boston defense attorney Richard Riley, JD to learn what the court system may look like for medical malpractice cases as they begin to reopen. How will court reopenings affect defendants?

Best Medical Practices: Maximizing Skills, Minimizing Risks in the Primary Care Setting

Registration for the Best Medical Practices Course is now open. This one-day program aims to provide up-to-date information on primary care malpractice risks, and to learn from experts about current screening and prevention for the most common diagnoses in these cases. This course is also designed for a maximum of 7.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™, and is suitable for 7.75 hours of Risk Management study in Massachusetts. Register now...

Safety Salute: Brigham and Women’s Hospitalist Recognized for Inter-hospital Transfer Research

We’re giving a Safety Salute to Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital hospitalist Stephanie K. Mueller, MD, MPH, SFHM, for her research on sub-optimal communication during inter-hospital transfers, which was awarded Best Overall Research Poster at the Society of Hospital Medicine’s annual conference. Thank you for helping keep patients safe...