The Exec: Mental Health Looms Large Post-COVID
Addressing mental health needs is a primary aspect of healthcare in the post-COVID world, the new chief medical officer of MSU Health Care says.
ECRI: Pediatric Mental Health Crisis Top Patient Safety Concern of 2023
Patient safety has been a pressing issue in healthcare since 1999, with the publication of the landmark report To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System. Despite two decades of attention, estimates of annual patient deaths due to medical errors have risen steadily to as many as 440,000 lives, a figure that was reported in the Journal of Patient Safety in 2013.
Just 40% of Healthcare Workers Think Their Workplace is Well Prepared for an Active Assailant
Of the nurse respondents, 81% are concerned about patients becoming violent, which is understandable given that 59% of them reported a dangerous event at their workplace, according to the Healthcare Worker Safety Survey conducted by Motorola Solutions, which specializes in video security and access control.
Joint Commission’s Psychiatric Hospital Accreditation Program Approved for Another 6 Years
CMS required the accrediting organization to increase training of its surveyors, as well as make other procedural changes, to ensure TJC was aligned with the federal agency’s oversight of psychiatric hospitals, according to an announcement in the Federal Register, scheduled to be published on February 27.
More Patients Getting Care for Mental Health Conditions in Primary Care Visits
The new research article, which was published in Health Affairs, is based on data collected from more than 100,000 primary care visits from 2006 to 2018. Data was drawn from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.
Integrated Healthcare: Making Behavioral Medicine Part of the Total Picture
A recent study found that patients with behavioral health conditions face annual healthcare costs of $12,272 versus $3,552 for patients without. But it’s not just a matter of cost; over half of adults in the U.S. with mental illnesses, or roughly 27 million people, do not receive treatment for their condition.
Emergency Department Length of Stay for Children with Mental Health Conditions Spikes
The new study, which was published by the Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians Open, is based on data collected from January 2020 to December 2021 at 107 emergency departments in 29 states.
Alarm Raised Over Patient Boarding in Emergency Departments
Boarding in emergency departments occurs when there is a shortage of inpatient beds for hospital admissions or there are no beds at external facilities such as psychiatric hospitals. The Joint Commission recommends that emergency department boarding not exceed four hours; however, it has become common to have emergency department boarding for days or weeks, according to ACEP.
Technology Is Changing Mental Healthcare, But Not the Need for Mental Health Professionals
The benefits of telehealth are obvious through the lens of the pandemic. Many people still prefer to limit their exposure to others. Getting to an in-person appointment can be tough, especially during work hours. Travel time means additional time away from work or other obligations. A telehealth appointment sidesteps all these concerns.
ECRI: Healthcare Organizations Must Address Racist Behavior in the Workplace
The majority of the racist incidents involved patients and family members making inappropriate comments related to race or ethnicity. These comments can have a negative impact on the mental health of healthcare providers—leading them to consider leaving their jobs at a time when workforce shortages are a significant problem at healthcare organizations.