Patient safety problems, from hospital-acquired infections to medical errors, occur much too frequently. This year, 800 hospitals will incur reimbursement penalties from Medicare because of high rates of infections and patient injuries, and a recent Johns Hopkins study found that medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the U.S. after heart disease and cancer.
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The opioid epidemic is one of the most challenging safety problems hospitals face, and VigiLanz is helping address it. The technology alerts physicians and pharmacists if a safety issue arises, such as if a patient is prescribed multiple opioids or has been taking an opioid longer than recommended.
Houston Methodist hospital is using VigiLanz to identify duplicate opioid orders and high use areas. In a recent study, the hospital found that opioid alerts triggered by VigiLanz led to the discontinuation of one or more opioids 53% of the time.
Nephrotoxic medications are critical for many patients. Unfortunately, they can also sometimes lead to acute-kidney injury in pediatric patients. To address this problem, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center created a complex algorithm to identify patients at risk. The program has led to a 40 percent reduction in AKIs.
VigiLanz supports the program by monitoring patient datawith a complex set of exposure criteria and alerting providers in near real-time if a patient has been exposed to nephrotoxins. It also lets providers know if injury occurs.
Far too many patients are harmed due to medical errors and other safety issues. In fact, medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States. VigiLanz is helping hundreds of hospitals improve patient safety in several ways, including assisting with adverse event avoidance, infection and outbreak control, and opioid stewardship. Learn more about how three hospitals are using clinical surveillance technology to improve in these areas.
Patients go to the hospital for healing, but despite the best intentions of clinical staff, far too many patients experience unintended harm.
The numbers are staggering. Medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States after heart disease and cancer. Today alone, 1,000 people will die because of a preventable hospital error.
Check out our short infographic to learn how real hospitals are using clinical surveillance to turn the tide against medical errors and other patient safety issues.
