As medical technologies and treatments continue to evolve, patient safety remains a critical concern in 2024. Recognizing the importance of staying vigilant about emerging threats, the independent nonprofit organization Emergency Care Research Institute has identified the top 10 patient safety concerns for 2024.
These concerns include a wide range of safety issues, from barriers in medical care for marginalized groups to unintended consequences of technology adoption, highlighting the need for continued vigilance and improvement in patient safety practices. In this regard, this article will provide an overview of the top 10 patient safety concerns for 2024 and their implications for patient and employee safety.
Barcode Medication Administration (BCMA) systems ensure medication safety by verifying the patient's identity, medication, dosage, and timing. Nurses scan the patient’s wristband and medication barcode, which the BCMA system then cross-references with the electronic health record (EHR), preventing medication errors.
However, workarounds in BCMA systems, such as when barcodes are not readable, or medications are unlisted, can lead to medication errors with grave consequences. These workarounds often stem from device configuration issues, system failures, or inadequate staff training, highlighting the importance of robust training and system integrity. Ensuring BCMA systems function correctly is crucial for maintaining patient safety and preventing potentially fatal errors.
In an examination of 4,446 technology-related medication safety issues reported to ECRI and the ISMP PSO in 2019, 66% were related to barcode scanning issues, making it the most frequently reported technology issue.
If BCMA errors occur, it’s essential to convene a multidisciplinary team to review practices leading to workarounds and develop modifications supporting safe workflow. Clinical leaders should collaborate with human resources to implement a just culture approach regarding staff behaviors related to BCMA workarounds.
In the United States, limited access to obstetric and reproductive care facilities poses significant risks, such as pregnancy-related deaths, preterm deliveries, low-birthweight babies, and infant mortality, disproportionately affecting people of color and other vulnerable populations.
The situation is worsened by the ongoing shortage of obstetricians, with a projected shortage of 22,000 by 2050, as well as by inconsistent reimbursement for services. This contributes to the nation's high maternal mortality rate, the worst among wealthy nations, with 1,200 annual deaths and 50,000 severe complications.
Patient engagement and patient advocacy are essnetial to improving maternal care. Therefore, healthcare providers should encourage patients to express their concerns and discuss postpartum resources upon discharge, ensuring care is easily understandable and culturally sensitive. Implementing a recognition program for staff who prevent harm boosts accountability and improvement.
Additionally, implementing a good-catch reporting program is vital for recognizing staff members who identify and prevent potential harm to pregnant and postpartum patients, fostering a culture of accountability and system improvement.
3. Challenges Transitioning Newly Trained Clinicians from Education into Practice
Physicians and nursing leaders are increasingly concerned about the challenges of transitioning newly trained clinicians from education to practice, particularly exacerbated by COVID-19. Many clinicians that entered practice during the pandemic missed out on crucial learning opportunities, with studies revealing their reduced procedural training in high-risk specialties like surgery, neurology, and anesthesia for medical residents.
Studies have also indicated that medical residents and newly licensed nurses have faced significant disruptions in their transition to practice programs, including decreased procedural education, changes in orientation processes, and increased workloads, leading to many new nurses feeling unprepared.
In fact, 30% of nurses with less than two years’ experience reported that they do not feel well prepared to practice on their own.
Recommendations to combat this issue include:
The widespread adoption of healthcare technologies like electronic health records (EHRs) has brought about many positive changes in healthcare, but also serious risks, including patient harm and provider burnout.
With physicians spending a significant portion of their time on EHRs, concerns arise as emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning become commonplace in healthcare. While AI shows promise in areas such as medical imaging, challenges such as data quality, bias, integration, transparency, and privacy also raise concerns over its safety and effectiveness.
Healthcare leaders should identify factors like staffing shortages, burnout, and cognitive overload that may lead to overreliance on or misuse of AI and emerging technologies. They should also consider employing clinically informed human-factors-engineering methods to assess clinical workflows, including EHR modifications, for potential impacts of new technologies.
Patient falls remain a significant patient safety concern in 2024, leading sentinel events reported to The Joint Commission despite increased targeted interventions.
Implementing comprehensive fall prevention strategies involves risk assessments tailored to individual profiles and customized care plans addressing various aspects such as patient education, environmental adaptations, and staff training. Additionally, creating a safe environment through purposeful rounding, incorporating rehabilitation exercises, utilizing incident management software, and educating patients and families are vital components in effectively reducing fall incidents.
These strategies highlight the need for comprehensive measures to reduce patient falls and improve safety.
The pandemic has exacerbated already challenging work environments for healthcare workers, significantly impacting their emotional and physical well-being.
As of October 2023, U.S. healthcare employment remains substantially below projected levels, highlighting the ongoing strain. Furthermore, data from 2022 revealed alarming rates of burnout among healthcare workers, with a significant portion experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression, underscoring the magnitude of the issue.
Leaders play a pivotal role in combating burnout by:
Diagnostic errors, leading to improper or delayed treatment, adversely affect patient outcomes and inflate healthcare costs. Enhancing diagnostic accuracy amid complex medical scenarios is crucial, necessitating targeted strategies to minimize these errors within healthcare systems.
To decrease the rate of diagnostic error, healthcare organizations can:
Despite the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) being enacted over 30 years ago, barriers to accessible healthcare for individuals with physical and intellectual disabilities persist, including communication, physical, policy, programmatic, and transportation challenges.
These barriers contribute to one in four adults aged 18 to 44 with disabilities lacking a dedicated healthcare provider.
In promoting disability-inclusive healthcare, organizations must ensure full and equitable access to services in compliance with ADA and local regulations, addressing requirements for service animals, parking, and mobility and communication devices. Patient and family engagement should prioritize assessing and documenting health literacy and consent capacity, providing ample time for understanding and collaboration on care plans, and discussing potential barriers like transportation or scheduling.
Healthcare organizations need to establish robust infrastructure and systemic processes to provide clinicians with the tools they need to deliver equitable care to patients with disabilities and ensure that no individual is denied care.
In mid-2023, the US healthcare system experienced shortages of more than 300 drugs—the highest number since 2014. Many of these drugs (e.g., central nervous system agents, antimicrobials, fluids/electrolytes, chemotherapy drugs, hormones, etc.) are medically necessary for critically or chronically ill patients.
These shortages can impact patient outcomes by delaying essential treatments like surgeries or diagnostic procedures. Therefore, organizations must proactively address supply chain disruptions, implement contingency plans, and collaborate with suppliers to mitigate the impact of shortages on patient care.
This may include:
The misuse of parenteral syringes to administer oral liquid medications poses a serious risk to patient safety.
Parenteral syringes are primarily used for administering medications or fluids directly into the body through routes other than the digestive tract, such as intravenous, intramuscular, or subcutaneous injections. However, they may also be used to administer oral medications in certain situations, particularly when the patient cannot swallow or take medications orally.
This practice can lead to medication errors, contamination, and infections, jeopardizing patient health. To mitigate this risk, oral or enteral syringes with specially designed hubs can be consistently used for preparing and administering small-volume oral/enteral liquids, preventing attachment to standard IV lines, and reducing the likelihood of medication errors.
Performance Health Partners’ incident management system plays a pivotal role in addressing healthcare challenges by enabling real-time data analysis for targeted interventions, improving patient safety and staff well-being.
Incident reporting software helps healthcare organizations identify and prevent patient safety issues proactively, reducing adverse events while enhancing outcomes and maintaining a safe work environment.