By Dr. Femi Ogunyemi

Here’s Becker’s (Becker’s Hospital Review) Infection Control & Clinical Quality editorial team 10 patient safety issues for providers to consider in 2016.

Medication errors

These are one of the most common types of inpatient errors, as nearly 5 percent of hospitalized patients are affected by adverse drug events annually, both inpatients and during surgeries. Mistakes in labeling, incorrect dosage, neglecting to treat a problem indicated by a patient’s vital signs, and documentation errors were the medication errors that occurred most frequently.

Diagnostic errors

Last year, diagnostic errors accounted for 6 to 17 percent of hospital adverse events and roughly 10 percent of patient deaths, indicating definite room for improvement in this space. Among the solutions proffered was : “fostering teamwork between and among healthcare providers” – a major issue in Nigeria!

Discharge practices

Hospital discharge can be a critical moment in a patient’s care. A study from the early 2000s found nearly 20 percent of patients experience an adverse event within three weeks of discharge, and many of those events could be prevented.

Workplace safety

It is hospitals’ duties to keep patients, and staff, safe. Safety starts from needlestick injuries to injuries from lifting patients to fear of being assaulted by a patient. Federal and State governments in Nigeria can start by providing information and strategies for improving safety in the healthcare workplace, including workplace injury, violence awareness and prevention.

Hospital facility safety

Building or maintenance problems can seriously compromise safety in health facilities. Environmental hazards abound in many hospitals in Nigeria putting patients and staff at risk of injury or disease. Healthcare facilities in Nigeria are very insecure; compared with banks! Cases of thieves and armed robbers abound.

Government should unite several organizations from the healthcare, construction and engineering industries to create uniform guidelines for the heating, ventilation and air condition of operating rooms, sterile processing departments and endoscope procedure rooms to ensure patient safety.“

While many offices in the hospital are ice cold with air conditioning, I have seen surgeons sweating profusely in a hot theatre with no open windows for ventilation. Nigerian hospitals must re-evaluate their maintenance protocols to ensure patient safety.

Reprocessing and Sterilization issues

The cleaning and repreparation of medical devices and equipment in many health facilities in Nigeria falls below standards, and requires serious attention. Non reusable means…do not re use. Particular sterilizing instructions accompanied a medical device must be followed, and with no short cuts. A surgical area must be prepared thoroughly for the next patient. That next patient could be YOU. The resulting risk of infection remains at the top of 2016s Top 10 Health Technology Hazards list.

Infection

One million cases of sepsis occur each year, and up to half of people who get sepsis will die, making it the ninth leading cause of disease-related deaths.

“Super” superbugs

Superbugs — are bacteria that cannot be treated using two or more antibiotics. They continue to pose a threat to patients, and they appear to be getting stronger.

Researchers in China have published data on a bacteria found in pigs, broiler chickens and humans that contains a gene that makes it resistant to all forms of antibiotics, including “last resort” drugs used to beat the toughest antimicrobial resistant bugs. Guidelines and protocols for antibiotic use is urgently needed in Nigeria.

The cyber-insecurity of medical devices

In the UK and USA, hackers have shown how easy it is to remotely access medical devices and alter dosages. As Nigerias IT fundamentals develop, and this is happening quickly, healthcare systems must be aware and prepared for vulnerabilities in new, chip based, digital or web based technologies. Cybersecurity must be a priority.

Going transparent with quality data

Most health systems query patients about their experiences and satisfaction with physicians during their hospital stays. But few opt to put those ratings online for all to see, although there’s reason to believe the practice can improve patient safety. There was uproar and complaints when this idea of “performance figures” was first mooted in the UK about 15 years ago. It is now standard and routine. We are a very long way from that kind of public feedback in Nigeria.