Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1512339
8 PATIENT SAFETY & OUTCOMES Why human creativity is essential to healthcare safety By Mariah Taylor I ntegrating human factors is essential for the future of healthcare safety and sustainability, but many systems are working against the system instead of toward it, an op-ed piece in Science Direct written by five physicians said. e authors proposed a new framework called safety II that views human creativity as an essential safety safeguard rather than the root cause of errors. "Humans are oen seen as the root cause: a problem to be fixed and a source of liability and hazard to be protected against," the authors wrote. "is approach inadvertently sends clinicians the message that they are not to be trusted — that they are the broken ones. … When systems are not designed with human capacity in mind, the result can be a paradoxical increase in safety hazards, higher rates of burnout, and, ultimately, an exodus of health care workers that puts the entire system at risk." This specialty could reduce healthcare spending By Mariah Taylor P rimary care providers are an important factor in improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare spending, but the system is showing cracks, e Washington Post reported Oct. 17. More investment in accessible, comprehensive and community- based services has allowed countries with fewer resources — including Chile, Costa Rica and Portugal — to gain on the U.S. in life expectancy. Evidence shows that primary care improves population health, reduces disparities and saves money, but the field is attracting fewer medical students. To reverse this trend, HHS made a commitment to strengthen primary care and is soliciting input from providers. Two senators, meanwhile, recently announced a $26 billion bill aimed at expanding primary care and reducing staff shortages. Here are four things to know about the primary care shortage's effect on patients: • A 2019 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that every 10 additional primary care physicians per 100,000 people was associated with 51.5 more days of life expectancy. • Addressing basic patient problems in the emergency room costs up to 12 times more than in primary care offices, amounting to billions of additional dollars spent each year, according to an analysis from UnitedHealth Group. • Fewer than 9% of third-year internal medicine residents are interested in primary care, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. • About 100 million Americans live in primary care workforce shortage areas, which is acute in rural areas where hospitals are shutting down, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration. n How 1 ED boosted pediatric readiness By Mackenzie Bean A 25-bed hospital in Colorado is among the most prepared facilities in the nation to treat pediatric patients in its emergency department, The Wall Street Journal reported Oct. 25. In 2020, Rifle-based Grand River Health scored a 51 out of 100 on a pediatric readiness assessment. Now, the public hospital sits at 97.5 percent, putting it among the top 10 percent of EDs nationwide. Leaders attribute the improvement to several simple, cost- effective strategies it has implemented over the past three years, including: • Appointing child-emergency coordinators • Color-coding medication and equipment stored in the ED based on a child's size • Training ED physicians to perform procedures on children, such as how to create emergency airways • Educating physicians on CT scan guidelines and revising computerized protocols to better inform treatment decisions Despite having limited financial resources, the hospital was able to easily afford the improvement initiatives, according to Grand River Health CEO Jim Coombs. The biggest costs included two $3,000 infusion pumps designed for children and $8,000 spent on emergency department education and staff training. In October, a Journal investigation found that only 14 percent of emergency departments nationwide are certified as ready to treat children or are children's hospitals designed to care for young people. In May, Grand River Health became the first facility in Colorado to complete a new pediatric-readiness certification program. n