USA: Top 10 patient safety concerns for 2023

The US Emergency Care Research Institute (ECRI) has said the paediatric mental health crisis is the most pressing patient safety concern in 2023.

ECRI, which conducts independent medical device evaluations, annually compiles scientific literature and patient safety events, concerns reported to or investigated by the organization, and other data sources to create its top 10 list.

Here are the 10 patient safety concerns for 2023, according to the report: 

1. The pediatric mental health crisis

2. Physical and verbal violence against healthcare staff

3. Clinician needs in times of uncertainty surrounding maternal-fetal medicine

4. Impact on clinicians expected to work outside their scope of practice and competencies

5. Delayed identification and treatment of sepsis

6. Consequences of poor care coordination for patients with complex medical conditions

7. Risks of not looking beyond the "five rights" to achieve medication safety

8. Medication errors resulting from inaccurate patient medication lists

9. Accidental administration of neuromuscular blocking agents

10. Preventable harm due to omitted care or treatment

For the number one spot, ECRI said the COVID-19 pandemic raised the situation, which includes high rates of depression and anxiety among children, to crisis levels. 

ECRI President and CEO Marcus Schabacker, MD, PhD, said social media, gun violence and other socioeconomic factors were fueling the issue, but COVID-19 pushed it into a crisis.  

"We're approaching a national public health emergency," Dr. Schabacker said in a statement. 

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Source: Becker's Hospital Review, 13 March 2023