Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1337263
18 PATIENT SAFETY St. Peter's oncologist was removed for harming patients, CEO says By Gabrielle Masson H elena, Mont.-based St. Peter's Health removed longtime oncologist Tom Weiner, MD, aer learning that the physician had been harming patients for years, CEO Wade Johnson wrote in a Dec. 7 letter to the Independent Record. e health system said Dr. Weiner caused harm via clinically unnecessary treatments, failure to meet narcotic prescription laws, failure to refer patients to other specialists for appropriate treatments and failure to meet clinical documentation requirements, according to Mr. Johnson's letter. "After extensive review of these concerns and consultation with medical and legal experts, we expect authorities will investi- gate these concerns and we will cooperate fully," Mr. Johnson wrote. "We understand many people have been frustrated by the lack of information about Dr. Weiner's departure. Please know that he was swiftly and decisively removed from patient care as soon as there was proof that patients were harmed." Dr. Weiner declined to comment on the allegations, according to the Independent Record. The oncologist, who worked for St. Peter's for nearly 25 years, said he plans to sue the hospital. A class-action lawsuit was filed Nov. 13 against St. Peter's Health, alleging that the hospital failed to fulfill its duty to its pa- tients as a result of Dr. Weiner's dismissal. Hospital officials filed a motion Dec. 8 to dismiss the class-action lawsuit. According to the lawsuit, Dr. Weiner's pa- tients weren't consulted before his unex- plained absence in late October, resulting in gaps in care. n Moderate sleep loss boosts risk of medical errors 53%, study finds By Mackenzie Bean E ven moderate levels of sleep deprivation among physi- cians can cause a significant increase in the risk of med- ical errors, a study published Dec. 7 in JAMA Network Open found. Researchers surveyed physicians at 11 academic medical centers nationwide on various wellness topics, including sleep, between November 2016 and October 2018. More than 11,300 physicians provided survey responses on sleep habits, and 7,762 responded to questions about self-reported medical errors. Residents had higher rates of sleep-related impairment than attending physicians, and residents in surgical specialties re- ported the most sleep deprivation among the 12 medical spe- cialties included in the analysis. Among attending physicians, emergency medicine specialists reported the most sleep-relat- ed impairment, while surgical specialists reported the least. After adjusting for such factors as training status and practice specialty, researchers found physicians who reported mod- erate levels of sleep deprivation had a 53 percent greater chance of self-reporting a clinically significant medical error. This figure jumped to 97 percent for physicians with the high- est rates of sleep deprivation. "Sleep-related impairment was associated with increased burnout, decreased professional fulfillment and increased self-reported clinically significant medical error," study authors concluded. "Interventions to mitigate sleep-related impair- ment in physicians are warranted." n 7 patient safety goals for 2021 from Joint Commission By Mackenzie Bean T he Joint Commission in November shared seven patient safety goals for hospitals to focus on in 2021. Every year, the organization gathers new evidence on emerging patient safety issues to inform its goals for the upcoming year. The information also influences "sentinel event alerts, standards and survey processes, performance measures, education materials and Joint Commis- sion Center for Transforming Healthcare projects," the accrediting body said on its website. The Joint Commission's 2021 national patient safety goals for hospitals are: 1. Improve the accuracy of patient identification. 2. Improve staff communication. 3. Improve the safety of medication administration. 4. Reduce patient harm associated with clinical alarm systems. 5. Reduce the risk of healthcare-associated infec- tions. 6. Better identify patient safety risks in the hospital. 7. Better prevent surgical mistakes. n