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Showing results for tags 'Research'.
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Content ArticleIn this article, Nicholas T H Farr, research fellow at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Sheffield, looks at the need for improved preclinical testing methods to ensure the safety of new medical devices. He highlights cases where lack of testing has led to significant harm to patients and argues that to reduce the risk to patients, the research community needs rigorous and comprehensive testing methods that can more accurately predict how the human body will respond to implantable materials and devices. Nicholas has previously written for the hub, in this blog about the importance of investing in the development of testing methods to ensure medical devices are safe to use.
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Content ArticleIntegrated care systems (ICSs) were created to increase collaboration in the health and social care sector and to enable the NHS, local authorities and other partners to take collective responsibility for improving health outcomes, reducing inequalities, delivering better value for money, and driving local social and economic development. This research from the King's Fund examines the development of ICSs by assessing their efforts to develop system-wide approaches to the recruitment, training and retention of staff. The findings are based on 24 in-depth interviews with local leaders in four case study sites plus a series of online workshops.
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Content ArticleResearch on clinical deterioration has mostly focused on clinicians' roles. Although patients and families can identify subtle cues of early deterioration, little research has focused on their experience of recognising, speaking up and communicating with clinicians during this period of instability. This study explored patient and family narratives about their recognition and response to clinical deterioration and their interactions with clinicians prior to and during Medical Emergency Team (MET) activations in hospital.
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Content ArticleThe aim of the study was to describe the experiences related to sleep and night time rest of patients hospitalised in the intensive care unit (ICU). The study used a qualitative project based on phenomenology as a research method. A semi-structured interview was used as the method to achieve the goal. The patients’ answers were recorded and transcribed. The data were coded and cross-processed. Five themes were identified from the interview as factors disturbing sleep: fear, noise, light, medical staff, and at home best. Chronic anxiety appears to contribute to sleep disturbances in the ICUs, psychological support, and individualised approach to the hospitalised patient seem necessary. By raising the awareness of the essence of sleep among medical staff, environmental factors can be reduced as disturbing sleep. Based on the participants’ comments, it is possible that repeated actions could also increase the patients’ sense of security.
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Content ArticleThe need for sleep has long been assumed to be important for recovery from injury and sickness, and there is an emerging understanding of the restorative role of sleep in health and disease. Unfortunately, the hospital environment is often poorly conducive to sleep. Pain, anxiety, medication effects, medical interventions, environmental noise and light, and the acute illness itself all contribute to decreased quality and quantity of sleep in hospitalised patients. As a result, issues related to sleep and sleep disorders are important to inpatient care. This review will discuss the evaluation, consequences, and management of sleep disturbances in hospitalised adult patients.
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News Article
NHS urged to prioritise cancer care basics over tech and AI ‘magic bullets’
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The NHS must concentrate on the basics of cancer treatment rather than the “magic bullets” of novel technologies and artificial intelligence, or risk the health of thousands of patients, experts have warned. In a paper published in the journal Lancet Oncology, nine leading cancer doctors and academics say the NHS is at a tipping point in cancer care with survival rates lagging behind many other developed countries. The NHS has not met its target for 85% of cancer patients to start treatment within two months since December 2015. International research shows that every four weeks of delay in treatment increases the risk of death by up to 10%. It means hundreds of thousands of people have to wait months to start essential cancer treatment, and only 67% begin treatment within 62 days. The paper highlights 10 pressure points that are contributing to entrenched cancer survival inequalities, diagnosis and treatment delays, and inappropriate care. In a sharply worded warning, the cancer experts say “novel solutions” such as new diagnostic tests have been wrongly hyped as “magic bullets” for the cancer crisis, but “none address the fundamental issues of cancer as a systems problem”. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 8 July 2024 -
Content ArticleThis policy review published in the Lancet Oncology discusses ten key pressure points in the NHS in the delivery of cancer care services that need to be urgently addressed by a comprehensive national cancer control plan. These pressure points cover areas such as increasing workforce capacity and its productivity, delivering effective cancer survivorship services, addressing variation in quality, fixing the reimbursement system for cancer care, and balancing of the cancer research agenda. These areas have been selected based on their relative importance to ensuring sustainable cancer services, persistence as key issues in the NHS, and their impact on delivering better and more equitable and affordable patient outcomes. Many of these pressure points are not acknowledged explicitly in any current discourse. The evidence provides points to their impact on the ability to deliver world class cancer care, but also to their amenability to affordable solutions if given the relevant prioritisation and investment. The current narrative needs to move away from a technocentric approach to improving care, to one focused on understanding the complexity of cancer services and the wider health system to drive improvements in survival, quality of life, and experience for patients.
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Content ArticleThe incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer has increased significantly over the past decade. Although there has been research on the relationship between outcomes and socioeconomic status in older adults, data on socioeconomic and racial disparities in younger adults is lacking. This US study in Surgery aimed to fill this gap by investigating factors affecting screening, treatment and outcomes for adults under 50 years at the time of diagnosis. The authors found that socioeconomic and racial disparities in early-onset colorectal cancer affect diagnosis, treatment and survival. They call for interventions to boost early diagnosis and access to surgery among minorities and patients living in neighbourhoods with low socioeconomic status.
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Content ArticleTeam diversity is recognised not only as an equity issue but also a catalyst for improved performance through diversity in knowledge and practices. However, team diversity data in healthcare are limited and it is not known whether it may affect outcomes in surgery. This study examined the association between anaesthesia–surgery team sex diversity and postoperative outcomes. The study found that care in hospitals with greater anaesthesia–surgery team sex diversity was associated with better postoperative outcomes. Care in a hospital reaching a critical mass with over 35% female anaesthetists and surgeons, representing higher team sex-diversity, was associated with a 3% lower odds of 90-day major morbidity.
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Content ArticleHealthcare staff deliver patient care in emotionally charged settings and experience a wide range of emotions as part of their work. These emotions and emotional contexts can impact the quality and safety of care. Despite the growing acknowledgement of the important role of emotion, we know very little about what triggers emotion within healthcare environments or the impact this has on patient safety. This systematic review explored the workplace triggers of emotions within the healthcare environment, the emotions experienced in response to these triggers, and the impact of triggers and emotions on patient safety. The various triggers of emotion and the types of emotion experienced that have been identified in this review can be used as a framework for further work examining the role of emotion in patient safety. The findings from this review suggest that certain types of emotions (including fear, anger, and guilt) were more frequently experienced in response to particular categories of triggers and that healthcare staff's experiences of negative emotions can have negative effects on patient care, and ultimately, patient safety. This provides a basis for developing and tailoring strategies, interventions, and support mechanisms for dealing with and regulating emotions in the healthcare work environment.
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Content ArticleRecent research within the context of Obstetrics shows the added value of patient participation in in-hospital patient safety. Notwithstanding these benefits, recent research within an Obstetrics department shows that four different negative effects of patient participation in patient safety have emerged. However, the approach to addressing these negative effects within the perspective of patient participation in patient safety is currently lacking. For this reason, the aim of this study is to generate an overview of actions that could be taken to mitigate the negative effects of patient participation in patient safety within an Obstetrics department.
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EventOrganised by SingHealth Duke-NUS Institute for Patient Safety & Quality (IPSQ), this webinar features the distinguished speaker, Ms Melanie Leis from Imperial College London. The session will delve into the critical role of research in patient safety improvement, exploring qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Don't miss the opportunity to gain valuable insights and engage in a Q&A session at the end of the webinar. Register
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News ArticlePopular weight-loss jabs have been linked to an eye condition that can cause blindness. People with diabetes prescribed semaglutide (brand names Wegovy and Ozempic) were more than four times more likely to be diagnosed with a condition called non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), according to a new study. Meanwhile, people who were overweight or obese prescribed the drugs were more than seven times as likely to develop the condition as those on other weight-loss medicines. NAION, which is uncommon, occurs from a lack of sufficient blood flow to the optic nerve. People typically suffer sudden vision loss in one eye, without any pain, and patients often notice the issue on waking up. There are no current treatments for NAION and vision often does not improve. The new study, published in JAMA Ophthalmology, was led by Joseph Rizzo, a professor of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School in the US. He said: “The use of these drugs has exploded throughout industrialised countries and they have provided very significant benefits in many ways, but future discussions between a patient and their physician should include NAION as a potential risk. “It is important to appreciate, however, that the increased risk relates to a disorder that is relatively uncommon.” Read full story Source: The Independent, 5 July 2024
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Content ArticleThe Pennsylvania Patient Safety Reporting System (PA-PSRS) is the largest database of patient safety event reports in the United States. This study in Patient Safety analysed more than 23,970 healthcare association infection (HAI) reports submitted by long term care facilities in Pennsylvania in 2023. The results showed an increase in the number of reports of HAIs submitted.The overall infection rate increased by 11.4%, from 0.88 in 2022 to 0.98 in 2023, and all six regions of the state had an increase in infection rate. The Northeast region had the highest rate, with 1.28 reports per 1,000 resident days, and the Southeast region had the lowest rate, at 0.72. The overall rate increase was driven by rates of urinary tract infection (UTI) and skin and soft tissue infection (SSTI), which increased by 20.1% and 17.4%, respectively. Within the UTI infection type, symptomatic urinary tract infection (SUTI) rates increased by 21.1% and catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) rates increased by 11.8%.
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News Article
Rise in Covid jab rates may protect children against asthma attacks, study finds
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Higher Covid vaccination rates could help protect children against asthma attacks, according to research. While previous studies show that vaccination helps prevent Covid 19 illness, the authors believe this is the first study to assess whether Covid inoculation is associated with reductions in children’s asthma symptoms, by preventing viral illness in children with asthma. US researchers examined parent-reported asthma symptom prevalence in more than 150,000 children in the National Survey of Children’s Health between 2018-19 and 2020-21, broken down by US state. The data was then compared with the proportion of people aged five years and older who were vaccinated in 2020-21, as well as age-adjusted Covid mortality rates and any face mask requirements in enclosed spaces. With each increase of 10 percentage points in Covid vaccination coverage in US states, there was a 0.36 percentage point reduction in the rates of child asthma symptoms as reported by their parents, according to the study, published in Jama Network Open. Dr Andy Whittamore, the clinical lead at Asthma + Lung UK, said: “Two million children in the UK live with asthma. Infections such as Covid-19 and flu can cause irritation and inflammation in the airways of people with asthma. This can lead to an increase in mucus and narrowing of the airways, which in turn can cause symptoms such as breathlessness, wheeze, tightness in the chest and coughing and potentially trigger an asthma attack. “So it’s important for children with asthma to get any vaccinations they are eligible for, such as flu, to keep them safe. It’s also vital to make sure your child takes their preventer inhaler daily and always has their reliever inhaler with them.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 3 July 2024 -
Content ArticleAsthma was considered a risk for Covid-19 infection and hospitalisation early in the pandemic. Social distancing measures in 2020 were associated with lower rates of emergency visits and hospitalisations for asthma among children. Individual-level risk of Covid-19 infection was reduced with vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 for adults and children in 2020 and 2021, and several states sustained other infection prevention efforts (eg, face mask requirements) into 2021. Whether symptomatic asthma among children was associated with population-level Covid-19 illness exposure or mitigation strategies is not understood. The authors of this study hypothesised that symptomatic asthma would be positively associated with population-level Covid-19 overall mortality and would be inversely associated with population-level completion of the COVID-19 primary vaccination series and with state face mask mandates.
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Content ArticleTrauma remains a leading cause of global mortality and morbidity, necessitating effective trauma care. Despite progress, adverse events during trauma resuscitation persist, impacting patient outcomes and the healthcare system. This study in the American Journal of Surgery aimed to investigate adverse events in trauma resuscitation, evaluate contributing factors, and assess methods, such as trauma video review (TVR), to mitigate adverse events. The authors concluded that trauma video review (TVR) shows promise for identifying adverse events. They identified challenges including ensuring reporting consistency and integrating approaches into existing protocols. They call for future research to prioritise linking trauma team performance to patient outcomes and develop sustainable TVR programs to enhance patient safety.
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Content ArticleSuicide is a leading cause of maternal death during the perinatal period, which includes pregnancy and the year after birth. While maternal suicide is a relatively rare event with a prevalence of 3.84 per 100,000 live births in the UK, the impact of maternal suicide is profound and long-lasting. Many more women will attempt suicide during the perinatal period, with a worldwide estimated prevalence of 680 per 100,000 in pregnancy and 210 per 100,000 in the year after birth. This qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences of women and birthing people who had a perinatal suicide attempt and to understand the context and contributing factors surrounding their perinatal suicide attempt. The researchers spoke to women with lived experience of perinatal mental illness. Their results highlighted three key themes: Trauma and Adversities which captures the traumatic events and life adversities with which participants started their pregnancy journeys. Disillusionment with Motherhood which brings together a range of sub-themes highlighting various challenges related to pregnancy, birth and motherhood resulting in a decline in women’s mental health. Entrapment and Despair which presents a range of factors that lead to a significant deterioration of women’s mental health, marked by feelings of failure, hopelessness and losing control. The authors called for further research into these factors which could lead to earlier detection of suicide risk, improving care and potentially prevent future maternal suicides.
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Content ArticleAlzheimer’s Society estimates that there are currently around 900,000 people living with dementia in the UK. Unlike other major conditions, there is no national clinical pathway for dementia, and despite there being a national target, there is wide variation in dementia diagnosis rates across England. Alzheimer’s Society commissioned The King’s Fund to explore the development of Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) through the lens of dementia diagnosis—to consider what opportunities ICSs present to approach dementia differently and to improve diagnosis rates by doing so. The research team explored enablers and barriers to improving dementia diagnosis through interviews with stakeholders and people affected by dementia in three case study ICSs.
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Content ArticleFew previous studies evaluating the benefits of diagnostic decision support systems have simultaneously measured changes in diagnostic quality and clinical management prompted by use of the system. This report describes a reliable and valid scoring technique to measure the quality of clinical decision plans in an acute medical setting, where diagnostic decision support tools might prove most useful.
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News Article
Almost half of antidepressant users could quit with GP support, study finds
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Almost half of long-term antidepressant users could stop taking the medication with GP support and access to internet or telephone helplines, a study suggests. Scientists said more than 40% of people involved in the research who were well and not at risk of relapse managed to come off the drugs with advice from their doctors. They also discovered that patients who could access online support and psychologists by phone had lower rates of depression, fewer withdrawal symptoms and reported better mental wellbeing. Prof Tony Kendrick, of Southampton University, who was the lead author of the research, said the findings were significant because they showed high numbers of patients withdrawing from the drugs without the need for costly intense therapy sessions. He said: “This approach could eliminate the risk of serious side-effects for patients using antidepressants for long periods who have concerns about withdrawal. “Offering patients internet and psychologist telephone support is also cost-effective for the NHS. Our findings show that support not only improves patient outcomes but also tends to reduce the burden on primary healthcare while people taper off antidepressants.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 26 June 2024 -
Content ArticleIn healthcare, 'speaking up' refers to when healthcare workers raise concerns regarding patient safety through questions, sharing information, or expressing their opinion to prevent harmful incidents and ensure patient safety. Conversely, withholding voice is an act of not raising concerns, which could be beneficial in certain situations. Factors associated with speaking up and withholding voices are not fully understood, especially in strong authoritarian societies, such as Malaysia. This study aimed to examine the factors associated with speaking up and withholding the voices of healthcare workers in Malaysia, thus providing suggestions that can be used in other countries facing similar patient safety challenges.
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Content Article
In this blog, patient advocate and healthcare communications consultant, Tambre Leighn, summarises her poster, Ask Me! Transforming Patient Communication to Improve Enrolment & Adherence in Clinical Trials and Cancer Care, presented at this year's American Association of Cancer Researchers conference. Tambre discusses how effective communication is essential for ensuring patient safety in clinical trials and cancer care, and why poor communication can lead to negative outcomes. She shares her strategies to improve patient safety through communication. -
Content ArticleImplementing levels of maternal care is one strategy proposed to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality. The levels of maternal care framework outline individual medical and obstetrical comorbidities, along with hospital resources required for individuals with these different comorbidities to deliver safely. The overall goal is to match individuals to hospitals so that all birthing people get appropriate resources and personnel during delivery to reduce maternal morbidity. This study examined the association between delivery in a hospital with an inappropriate level of maternal care and the risk of experiencing severe maternal morbidity.
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Content ArticleFalls are reported by more than 14 million US adults aged 65 years or older annually and can result in substantial morbidity, mortality, and health care expenditures. This study reviewed interventions to reduce falls.
