The Doctor’s Advocate | Third Quarter 2019
Foundation News
Foundation Supports Study on Perioperative Medication Errors
“Evaluation of Perioperative Medication Errors and Adverse Drug Events,” a Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) research study supported by a grant from The Doctors Company Foundation, was the first of its kind to examine perioperative medication error rates by direct observation.
The study found that some sort of mistake or adverse event occurred in every second operation and in 5 percent of observed drug administrations. The report was published in Anesthesiology, the medical journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists.
The long-term objective of the research study was to assess the incidence of perioperative medication errors, determine their root causes, and propose and prioritize targeted and cost-effective solutions to prevent these errors in the future.
“Using data from our study, we have been able to conduct follow-up studies, examining the incremental cost of perioperative adverse drug events to the U.S. healthcare system, as well as creating a validated set of decision rules to be used in our follow-up perioperative clinical decision support system,” said lead author of the report Karen C. Nanji, MD, MPH, of the MGH Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine.
The Doctors Company Foundation was created to support patient safety education for healthcare professionals and patient safety research with clinically useful applications.
The Doctor’s Advocate is published by The Doctors Company to advise and inform its members about loss prevention and insurance issues.
The guidelines suggested in this newsletter are not rules, do not constitute legal advice, and do not ensure a successful outcome. They attempt to define principles of practice for providing appropriate care. The principles are not inclusive of all proper methods of care nor exclusive of other methods reasonably directed at obtaining the same results.
The ultimate decision regarding the appropriateness of any treatment must be made by each healthcare provider considering the circumstances of the individual situation and in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction in which the care is rendered.
The Doctor’s Advocate is published quarterly by Corporate Communications, The Doctors Company. Letters and articles, to be edited and published at the editor’s discretion, are welcome. The views expressed are those of the letter writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or official policy of The Doctors Company. Please sign your letters, and address them to the editor.
Third Quarter 2019
An Ounce of Prevention
Advanced Practice Provider Closed Claims: What Can We Learn?
Government Relations Report
Legislative Advocacy Update
New Guide on Ending Patient Relationships
Foundation News
Foundation Supports Study on Perioperative Medication Errors
The Alzheimer’s Project Adds CME Courses
The Back Page
Industry and Company News