Becker's Clinical Quality & Infection Control

9 Patient Safety A survey of adults in Massachusetts showed 23% had experienced a medical error or someone close to them did — but just 54 percent of those people reported the medical error to someone. Usually, if the error was reported, the patient reported it to a health profes- sional where the event occurred (79 percent). Medical errors were not fre- quently reported to a government agency by the patient (8 percent). Most often, the person reported the error in writing. So what drove those who did report a medical error to do so? Below are the five most common reasons, derived from the survey: • Wanted to prevent the same error from happening to someone else — 90 percent • Wanted someone to help cope with the problems caused by the error — 68 percent • Were angry and wanted to get it off their chest — 40 percent • Wanted the person responsible to be punished — 31 percent • Wanted compensation for harm caused by the error — 17 percent The most common reason participants gave for not reporting an error was because they thought it wouldn't do any good (65 percent). Thirty-six per- cent of respondents didn't report an error because they didn't know how to. The survey was conducted via phone Sept. 2-28, 2014, and 1,224 Massachu- setts residents participated. n T he Association of periOperative Regis- tered Nurses recently released an updated version of "Recommended practices for surgical attire," providing guidance for what to wear — or what not to wear — in or around an operating room. In a piece in the AORN Journal, Leslie Bourdon, the journal's managing editor, detailed some of the practices. Some of those points are outlined below. 1. The new guidelines cite evidence on the use of antimicrobial fabrics and says using fabric with that technology in scrubs could help protect pa- tients from surgical site infections. 2. Jewelry like earrings, watches and rings that cannot be confined in scrubs should not be worn in semi-restricted or restricted areas, as those items can increase bacterial counts on the skin. 3. Any personal items like briefcases and backpacks should be kept off of the floor and cleaned with a disinfectant, and personal electronic devices should be cleaned with a disinfectant before and after being brought into a perioperative setting. 4. Cover apparel like lab coats that are worn over scrubs should be single-use or, if reusable, it should be cleaned in a healthcare-accredited facil- ity after each use. 5. In fact, any apparel worn in a perioperative setting should be cleaned in a healthcare-accred- ited laundry facility, as evidence suggests scrubs cleaned in a home setting have a risk for carrying pathogenic organisms. n What Drives a Patient to Report a Medical Error? By Heather Punke AORN's New Surgical Attire Recommended Practices: 5 Points to Know By Heather Punke SIGN UP TODAY! Infection Control & Clinical Quality Becker's Infection Control & Clinical Quality E-Weekly www.beckersinfectioncontrol.com or call (800) 417-2035

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