Medical Mistakes Tied to Patient Transfers
A new report shows that patients faced increased risks when they are transferred from one health care facility to another. The Joint Commission, a national hospital oversight group, recently found that nearly 80% of the most serious medical mistakes are caused by poor communication when patients move between caregivers. Some of the most basic and critical information is often left out during the exchange, including patient’s drug allergies, pending medical tests, and physician contact numbers.
Ten national hospitals and health systems formed a coalition to address these dangerous breakdowns in care. Their focus is to improve transfers from community hospitals to medicine departments and nursing homes to emergency rooms. Possible solutions include standardized lists that caregivers can analyze when they receive a patient