Effective Communication Improves Patient Safety

Abstract

PEOPLE WHO WORK within today's health care environment understand its complexity and interdependency, and even consumers of health care appreciate the complexity. The Institute of Medicine completed a study in 2012, which highlighted some of these complexities. 1 Institute of MedicineBest Care at Lower Cost: The Path to Continuously Learning Health Care in America. National Academies Press, Washington, DC2013 Google Scholar For example, an elderly patient today with multiple comorbidities, such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension may be taking up to 19 medications. The average elderly patient in the United States sees seven different doctors. 1 Institute of MedicineBest Care at Lower Cost: The Path to Continuously Learning Health Care in America. National Academies Press, Washington, DC2013 Google Scholar Similar elderly patients enter in and out of health care environments daily. An average surgical patient will see over 27 different health care providers during their hospitalization. If this surgical patient has an intensive care visit, the provider within that unit will be responsible for managing more than 180 activities over a 24-hour period. 1 Institute of MedicineBest Care at Lower Cost: The Path to Continuously Learning Health Care in America. National Academies Press, Washington, DC2013 Google Scholar Nurses administering medications were distracted or interrupted every 2 minutes. Jacqueline Ross, PhD, RN, CPAN, Department of Patient Safety, The Doctors Company, Napa, CA