The ECRI Institute has released its latest briefing containing the Top 10 Health Technology Hazards of 2014.
Each potential hazard was chosen according to six specific criteria: its potential to cause severe injury or death, the likelihood that it will happen, the probability that it could harm large numbers of people, the prospect for preventability, its potential to attract media attention and the possibility that the hazard could be difficult to detect.
1. Alarm Hazards
Alarms in a hospital enable doctors and nurses to respond quickly to life-threatening emergencies. However, ECRI points out that you can have too much of a good thing. Too many alarms can overwhelm providers, and they can become desensitized to their presence. Also, some alarms may not activate when they should.
2. Infusion Pump Medication Errors
Hospitals usually have large quantities of infusion pumps on-hand. As a result, management may not detect device failures or notice device misuse until a patient gets hurt.
3. CT Radiation Exposure in Pediatric Patients
Sometimes, clinicians utilize adult protocols when performing CT scans on children. As a result, children are exposed to too much radiation, which may increase their chances of developing cancer later in life.
4. Data Integrity Failures in EHRs and Other Health IT Systems
Despite the many advantages of EHRs, data mismanagement or misplacement can mean serious errors. For example, if a mobile medical device transmits data to an EHR system, and the system mistakenly places that information into the wrong patient record, then the consequences could be deadly.
5. Occupational Radiation Hazards in Hybrid Operating Rooms
Imaging capabilities within the OR have revolutionized surgery. However, staff members are now exposed to ionizing radiation from imaging devices.
6. Inadequate Reprocessing of Endoscopes and Surgical Instruments
Inadequately sterilized endoscopes and surgical instruments can spread HIV, tuberculosis and hepatitis C, among other nasty infectious agents.
7. Neglecting Change Management for Networked Devices and Systems
Healthcare benefits from the interoperability of IT solutions. However, updates, upgrades and modifications to one system or one device can have unexpected consequences to other devices or systems.
8. Risks to Pediatric Patients from "Adult" Technologies
Many medical providers use adult technologies for children and incorporate their own special workarounds. This mistake can cause problems like the aforementioned radiation exposure or medication errors. Also, EHRs may not be optimized for pediatric data, such as vaccination records.
9. Robotic Surgery Complications Due to Insufficient Training
While manufacturer's instructions can teach surgeons how to operate a surgical robot, there are currently no training standards or credentialing organizations that teach doctors how to perform specific procedures.
10. Retained Devices and Unretrieved Fragments
It's every patient's surgical nightmare: a surgical instrument or device left within the body after surgery. ECRI notes that 772 incidents of instruments left behind occurred between 2005 and 2012.
Edited by
Alisen Downey
