ECRI, a leading authority in patient safety, has released its annual report highlighting the top patient safety concerns for 2024. COPIC’s summary aims to provide insights into the identified concerns to mitigate risk and enhance patient safety. Of the ten concerns cited, eight involve technologies utilizing forms of artificial intelligence, highlighting AI’s rising prominence in the patient safety and medical liability arenas.
- Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities in Medical Devices
Medical devices are increasingly connected to networks, posing cybersecurity risks. Device vulnerabilities can lead to data breaches, patient privacy violations, and potential harm if the devices are compromised. Healthcare facilities must implement comprehensive cybersecurity measures to protect patient data and ensure the safe operation of medical devices. - Alarm, Alert, and Notification Fatigue
The proliferation of alarms, alerts, and notifications in healthcare settings can lead to desensitization among healthcare providers, resulting in missed or delayed responses to critical events. Healthcare organizations should prioritize strategies to reduce unnecessary alarms, customize alerts to individual patient needs, and provide appropriate training to staff to mitigate alarm fatigue. - Injection Safety Risks with Closed-Loop Medication Administration Systems
Closed-loop medication administration systems aim to enhance patient safety by automating medication delivery processes; however, errors in programming, configuration, or interoperability issues can introduce risks such as medication errors or delays in treatment. Healthcare facilities should conduct frequent assessments of closed-loop systems, implement safety protocols, and provide adequate training to staff to prevent adverse events. - Missed or Delayed Diagnosis with Point-of-Care Testing
Point-of-care testing offers rapid diagnostic results, enabling timely interventions. However, reliance on these tests without confirmatory laboratory testing or clinical judgment can lead to missed or delayed diagnoses. To avoid diagnostic errors, point-of-care testing should be used as a complement to traditional diagnostic approaches and results interpreted within the context of the clinical presentation. - Risks Associated with Wearable Health Technologies
Wearable health technologies have gained popularity for monitoring various health parameters and promoting wellness. Concerns exist regarding the accuracy, reliability, and privacy of data generated by these devices. Healthcare professionals should educate patients about the limitations of wearable health technologies, encourage critical evaluation of device performance, and integrate data from wearables into clinical decision-making cautiously. - Medication Errors Related to Electronic Health Record Usability
Electronic health records (EHRs) are critical tools in modern healthcare delivery but can contribute to medication errors if they lack user-friendly interfaces or fail to support safe prescribing practices. Healthcare organizations should prioritize EHR optimization, involve frontline users in system design and customization, and provide ongoing training to healthcare providers to mitigate medication errors associated with EHR usability issues. - Risks Associated with Remote Patient Monitoring
Remote patient monitoring enables continuous monitoring of patients outside traditional healthcare settings, offering opportunities for early detection of deteriorating conditions and timely interventions. Challenges include data security breaches, technical malfunctions, and inadequate response protocols, which can compromise patient safety. Healthcare providers should implement cybersecurity measures, ensure interoperability of monitoring devices with existing systems, and establish clear protocols for remote monitoring to maximize its benefits while minimizing risks. - Failure to Rescue Deteriorating Patients
Early recognition and rescue of clinical deterioration is critical in preventing adverse outcomes. Communication failures, inadequate staffing, and gaps in clinical monitoring all contribute to delays. Healthcare organizations should prioritize training in rapid response and escalation protocols, foster a culture of open communication and collaboration among multidisciplinary teams, and invest in technologies that facilitate real-time patient monitoring to improve outcomes. - Unintended Retention of Foreign Objects During Surgery
Surgical procedures continue to pose inherent risks of unintended retention of foreign objects (URFOs) despite several adopted risk mitigation strategies. Healthcare teams must adhere to standardized protocols for surgical counts, implement technologies such as radiofrequency identification (RFID) tracking systems, and enhance communication and teamwork to prevent URFOs and improve patient safety. - Inadequate Reprocessing of Endoscopes and Surgical Instruments
Improper reprocessing of endoscopes and surgical instruments can result in the transmission of infections. Healthcare facilities must adhere to stringent reprocessing guidelines, ensure proper cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization processes, and invest in technologies that facilitate effective instrument reprocessing to minimize the risk of healthcare-associated infections.
ECRI's Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns for 2024 underscore the importance of proactive measures to enhance patient safety, mitigate risks, and improve healthcare quality. Healthcare professionals must remain vigilant, collaborate across disciplines, and implement evidence-based strategies to address these concerns effectively and safeguard patient well-being in the rapidly evolving healthcare landscape. To download a copy of this report, please visit: https://home.ecri.org/blogs/ecri-thought-leadership-resources/top-10-patient-safety-concerns-2024
Information in this article is for general educational purposes and is not intended to establish practice guidelines or provide legal advice.
Article originally published in 3Q24 Copiscope.
