Healthcare Safety Toolkit Library

Provides information regarding the need to have a standardized process for handoffs in the PACU patient care area.

The AAMI Foundation, with the support of key industry partners and other patient safety organizations, has launched a multiyear initiative to highlight the potentially catastrophic patient safety problem of opioid over sedation and misuse, making the case for a solution that can save lives: continuous electronic monitoring (CEM).

In this report, you will read about four families who suffered the death of a loved one due to undetected respiratory depression caused by opioid use, as well as the harrowing experience of a patient who narrowly missed becoming yet another statistic.

From the Joint Commission Perspectives Newsletter comes the announcement of new and revised pain assessment and management standards that will go into effect January 1, 2018. Developed through rigorous research, evaluation and review processes, these enhancements will facilitate safer opioid prescribing and management practices for healthcare providers.

The proactive assessment of safety practices, especially those involving opioid use, can provide hospitals with valuable information about the weaknesses that exist within their medication-use system. Because the harm from errors involving opioids is potentially devastating, identifying the risks associated with opioid use should be considered a priority by healthcare organizations.

This assessment tool will help you analyze the safety of opioid practices in your facility and identify those key opportunities for improvement.

In this resource, you will find two sample patient agreement forms that can be used with patients who are beginning long-term treatment with opioid analgesics or other controlled substances. These documents contain statements to help ensure patients understand their role and responsibilities regarding their treatment, the conditions under which their treatment may be terminated, and the responsibilities of the healthcare provider. These documents can help facilitate communication between patients and healthcare providers and resolve any questions or concerns before initiation of long-term treatment with a controlled substance.

These guidelines were developed by the San Diego Patient Safety Task Force to provide acute care clinical leaders with recommendations for the standardization of intravenous Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA) medication administration in the care of the opioid naïve patient.

The PCA is an interactive method of pain management that allows patients to manage their pain by self-administering doses of analgesics, which usually involves opioids.

Acitve shooter events are increasing more and more across the U.S. and the experts have developed tools to help the lay person identify a potential active shooter as a risk reduction strategy.

Healthcare organizations should take the possiblity of an active shooter event occuring in their facility very seriously. These resources provide key tactics on managing violent and disruptive behavior as a risk reduction process.