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Santiago-Sáez A, Pinto Pastor P, Perea-Pérez B. Forensic medicine units in hospitals, a necessary care system. Med Clin (Barc) 2024:S0025-7753(24)00218-5. [PMID: 38705789 DOI: 10.1016/j.medcli.2024.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Santiago-Sáez
- Servicio de Medicina Legal, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, España; Departamento de Medicina Legal, Psiquiatría y Patología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, España
| | - Pilar Pinto Pastor
- Departamento de Medicina Legal, Psiquiatría y Patología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, España.
| | - Bernardo Perea-Pérez
- Departamento de Medicina Legal, Psiquiatría y Patología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, España
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Torsello A, Aromatario M, Scopetti M, Bianco L, Oliva S, D’Errico S, Napoli C. A Hospital Medical Record Quality Scoring Tool (MeReQ): Development, Validation, and Results of a Pilot Study. Healthcare (Basel) 2024; 12:331. [PMID: 38338216 PMCID: PMC10855803 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12030331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Hospital medical records are valuable and cost-effective documents for assessing the quality of healthcare provided to patients by a healthcare facility during hospitalization. However, there is a lack of internationally validated tools that measure the quality of the whole hospital medical record in terms of both form and content. In this study, we developed and validated a tool, named MeReQ (medical record quality) tool, which quantifies the quality of the hospital medical record and enables statistical modeling using the data obtained. The tool was applied to evaluate a sample of hospital individual patient medical records from a secondary referral hospital and to identify the departments that require quality improvement interventions and the effects of improvement actions already implemented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Torsello
- Department of Medical Surgical Sciences and Translational Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy; (M.S.); (C.N.)
| | | | - Matteo Scopetti
- Department of Medical Surgical Sciences and Translational Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy; (M.S.); (C.N.)
| | - Lavinia Bianco
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.B.); (S.O.)
| | - Stefania Oliva
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.B.); (S.O.)
| | - Stefano D’Errico
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health, University of Trieste, 34137 Trieste, Italy;
| | - Christian Napoli
- Department of Medical Surgical Sciences and Translational Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy; (M.S.); (C.N.)
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Candido G, Cascini F, Lachman P, La Regina M, Parretti C, Valentini V, Tartaglia R. Effects of the Italian Law on Patient Safety and Health Professional Responsibilities Five Years after Its Approval by the Italian Parliament. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:1858. [PMID: 37444691 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11131858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The application of the Italian law No. 24/2017, which focused on patient safety and medical liability, in the Italian National Health Service has been evaluated by a survey conducted five years after the promulgation of the law. The law required the establishment of healthcare risk management and patient safety centers in all Italian regions and the appointment of a Clinical Risk Manager (CRM) in all Italian public and private healthcare facilities. This study demonstrates that five years after the approval of the law, it has not yet been fully implemented. The survey revealed a lack of adequate permanent staff in all the Regional Centers, with two employees on average per Center. Few meetings were held with the Regional Healthcare System decision-makers with less than four meetings per year. This reduces the capacity to carry out functions. In addition, the role of the CRMs is weak in most healthcare facilities. More than 20% of CRMs have other roles in the same organization. Some important tasks have reduced application, e.g., assessment of the inappropriateness risk (reported only by 35.3% of CRM) and use of patient safety indicators for monitoring hospitals (20.6% of CRM). The function of the Regional Centers during the COVID-19 pandemic was limited despite the CRMs being very committed. The CRMs units undertake limited research and have reduced collaboration with citizen associations. Despite most of the CRMs believing that the law has had an important role in improving patient safety, 70% of them identified clinicians' resistance to change and lack of funding dedicated to implementing the law as the main barriers to the management of risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Candido
- Department of Engineering Sciences, Guglielmo Marconi University, 00193 Rome, Italy
| | - Fidelia Cascini
- Section of Hygiene and Public Health, Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Peter Lachman
- Department of Quality Improvement, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, D02 X266 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Micaela La Regina
- S.C. Clinical Governance and Risk Management, Ligurian Health and Social Care Company 5, Via Fazio 30, 19121 La Spezia, Italy
| | - Chiara Parretti
- Department of Engineering Sciences, Guglielmo Marconi University, 00193 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Riccardo Tartaglia
- Department of Engineering Sciences, Guglielmo Marconi University, 00193 Rome, Italy
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Di Fazio N, Scopetti M, Delogu G, La Russa R, Foti F, Grassi VM, Vetrugno G, De Micco F, De Benedictis A, Tambone V, Rinaldi R, Frati P, Fineschi V. Analysis of Medico-Legal Complaint Data: A Retrospective Study of Three Large Italian University Hospitals. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:healthcare11101406. [PMID: 37239691 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11101406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Identifying hospital-related critical, and excellent, areas represents the main goal of this paper, in both a national and local setting. Information was collected and organized for an internal company's reports, regarding civil litigation that has been affecting the hospital, to relate the obtained results with the phenomenon of medical malpractice on a national scale. This is for the development of targeted improvement strategies, and for investing available resources in a proficient way. (2) Methods: In the present study, data from claims management in Umberto I General Hospital, Agostino Gemelli University Hospital Foundation and Campus Bio-Medico University Hospital Foundation, from 2013 to 2020 were collected. A total of 2098 files were examined, and a set of 13 outcome indicators in the assessment of "quality of care" was proposed. (3) Results: From the total number, only 779 records (37.1%) were attributable to the categories indexable for the present analysis. This data highlights how, following a correct and rigorous categorization of hospital events, it is possible to analyze these medico-legal aspects using a small number of indicators. Furthermore, it is important to consider how a consistent percentage of remaining events was difficult to index, and was also of poor scientific interest. (4) Conclusions: The proposed indicators do not require standards to be compared to, but provide a useful instrument for comparative purposes. In fact, in addition to comparative assessment between different business realities distributed throughout the territory, the use of outcome indicators allows for a longitudinal analysis evaluating the performance of an individual structure over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Di Fazio
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Scopetti
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Delogu
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Raffaele La Russa
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, Italy
| | - Federica Foti
- Risk Management Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A Gemelli" IRCCS-Legal Medicine, Department of Health Surveillance and Bioethics, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Vincenzo M Grassi
- Risk Management Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A Gemelli" IRCCS-Legal Medicine, Department of Health Surveillance and Bioethics, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Vetrugno
- Risk Management Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A Gemelli" IRCCS-Legal Medicine, Department of Health Surveillance and Bioethics, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco De Micco
- Research Unit of Bioethics and Humanities, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus 12 Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 21, 00128 Roma, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 200, 00128 Roma, Italy
| | - Anna De Benedictis
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 200, 00128 Roma, Italy
- Research Unit of Nursing Science, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 21, 00128 Roma, Italy
| | - Vittoradolfo Tambone
- Research Unit of Bioethics and Humanities, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Università Campus 12 Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 21, 00128 Roma, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 200, 00128 Roma, Italy
| | - Raffaella Rinaldi
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Frati
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Vittorio Fineschi
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00128 Rome, Italy
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Bolgeo T, Maconi A, Gardalini M, Gatti D, Di Matteo R, Lapidari M, Longhitano Y, Savioli G, Piccioni A, Zanza C. The Role of Cold Atmospheric Plasma in Wound Healing Processes in Critically Ill Patients. J Pers Med 2023; 13:jpm13050736. [PMID: 37240907 DOI: 10.3390/jpm13050736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Critically ill patients are at risk of skin wounds, which reduce their quality of life, complicate their pharmacological regimens, and prolong their hospital stays in intensive care units (ICUs), while also increasing overall mortality and morbidity rates. Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) has been proposed as a viable option for many biological and medical applications, given its capacity to reduce wound bacterial contamination and promote wound healing. The aim of this narrative review is to describe how CAP works and its operating mechanisms, as well as reporting its possible applications in critical care settings. The success of CAP in the treatment of wounds, in particular, bedsores or pressure sores, presents an innovative path in the prevention of nosocomial infections and an opportunity of reducing the negative implications of these diseases for the NHS. This narrative review of the literature was conducted following the 'Scale for the Assessment of Narrative Review Articles' (SANRA) methodology. Previous literature highlights three biological effects of plasma: inactivation of a wide range of microorganisms, including those that are multi-drug-resistant; increased cell proliferation and angiogenesis with a shorter period of plasma treatment; and apoptosis stimulation with a longer and more intensive treatment. CAP is effective in many areas of the medical field, with no significant adverse effects on healthy cells. However, its use can produce potentially serious side effects and should, therefore, be used under expert supervision and in appropriate doses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Bolgeo
- Department of Integrated Research and Innovation Activities, AON SS. Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo, 15121 Alessandria, Italy
| | - Antonio Maconi
- Department of Integrated Research and Innovation Activities, AON SS. Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo, 15121 Alessandria, Italy
| | - Menada Gardalini
- Department of Integrated Research and Innovation Activities, AON SS. Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo, 15121 Alessandria, Italy
| | - Denise Gatti
- Department of Integrated Research and Innovation Activities, AON SS. Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo, 15121 Alessandria, Italy
| | - Roberta Di Matteo
- Department of Integrated Research and Innovation Activities, AON SS. Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo, 15121 Alessandria, Italy
| | - Marco Lapidari
- Department of Vascular Surgery, St. Antonio and Biagio and Cesare Arrigo Hospital, 15121 Alessandria, Italy
| | - Yaroslava Longhitano
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Gabriele Savioli
- Department of Emergency Medicine and Surgery, IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Andrea Piccioni
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Christian Zanza
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
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Ferorelli D, Moretti L, Benevento M, Mastrapasqua M, Telegrafo M, Solarino B, Dell’Erba A, Bizzoca D, Moretti B. Digital Health Care, Telemedicine, and Medicolegal Issues in Orthopedics: A Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:15653. [PMID: 36497728 PMCID: PMC9735483 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192315653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The use of technologies in medicine has great potential to reduce the costs of health care services by making appropriate decisions that provide timely patient care. The evolution of telemedicine poses a series of clinical and medicolegal considerations. However, only a few articles have dealt with telemedicine and orthopedics. This review assesses the ethical and medicolegal issues related to tele-orthopedics. A systematic review was performed including papers published between 2017 and 2021 focusing on the main medicolegal and clinical-governance aspects of tele-orthopedics. Most of the articles were published during the COVID-19 pandemic, confirming the impetus that the pandemic has also given to the spread of telemedicine in the orthopedic field. The areas of interest dealt with in the scientific evidence, almost exclusively produced in the USA, Europe, the UK, and Canada, are quality, patient satisfaction, and safety. The impact of telemedicine in orthopedics has not yet been fully evaluated and studied in terms of the potential medicolegal concerns. Most of the authors performed qualitative studies with poor consistency. Authorizations and accreditations, protection of patient confidentiality, and professional responsibility are issues that will certainly soon emerge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Ferorelli
- Section of Legal Medicine, Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari, 70121 Bari, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Moretti
- Orthopedics and Trauma Unit, AOUC Policlinico di Bari, Department DiBraiN, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70121 Bari, Italy
| | - Marcello Benevento
- Section of Legal Medicine, Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari, 70121 Bari, Italy
| | - Maurizio Mastrapasqua
- Section of Legal Medicine, Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari, 70121 Bari, Italy
| | - Michele Telegrafo
- Section of Legal Medicine, Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari, 70121 Bari, Italy
| | - Biagio Solarino
- Section of Legal Medicine, Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari, 70121 Bari, Italy
| | - Alessandro Dell’Erba
- Section of Legal Medicine, Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari, 70121 Bari, Italy
| | - Davide Bizzoca
- Orthopedics and Trauma Unit, AOUC Policlinico di Bari, Department DiBraiN, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70121 Bari, Italy
| | - Biagio Moretti
- Orthopedics and Trauma Unit, AOUC Policlinico di Bari, Department DiBraiN, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70121 Bari, Italy
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Liu P, Yang Y, Cheng J. Gender differences in medical errors among older patients and inequalities in medical compensation compared with younger adults. Front Public Health 2022; 10:883822. [PMID: 36211673 PMCID: PMC9540365 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.883822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Despite growing evidence focusing on health inequalities in older adults, inequalities in medical compensation compared with younger adults and gender disparities of medical errors among older patients have received little attention. This study aimed to disclose the aforementioned inequalities and examine the disparities in medical errors among older patients. Methods First, available litigation documents were searched on "China Judgment Online" using keywords including medical errors. Second, we compiled a database with 5,072 disputes. After using systematic random sampling to retain half of the data, we removed 549 unrelated cases. According to the age, we identified 424 and 1,563 cases related to older and younger patients, respectively. Then, we hired two frontline physicians to review the documents and independently judge the medical errors and specialties involved. A third physician further considered the divergent results. Finally, we compared the medical compensation between older and younger groups and medical errors and specialties among older patients. Results Older patients experienced different medical errors in divergent specialties. The medical error rate of male older patients was over 4% higher than that of females in the departments of general surgery and emergency. Female older patients were prone to adverse events in respiratory medicine departments and primary care institutes. The incidence of insufficient implementation of consent obligation among male older patients was 5.18% higher than that of females. However, females were more likely to suffer adverse events at the stages of diagnosis, therapy, and surgical operation. The total amount of medical compensation obtained by younger patients was 41.47% higher than that of older patients. Conclusions Except for the common medical errors and departments involved, additional attention should be paid to older patients of different genders according to the incidence of medical errors. Setting up the department of geriatrics or specialist hospitals is also an important alternative to improve patient safety for older people. Furthermore, there may be inequality in medical compensation in older patients due to the tort liability law of China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paicheng Liu
- School of Public Administration, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuxuan Yang
- School of Government, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China,*Correspondence: Yuxuan Yang
| | - Jianxin Cheng
- School of Public Administration and Emergency Management, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China,Jianxin Cheng
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The Impact on Healthcare Workers of Italian Law n. 24/2017 “Gelli–Bianco” on Patient Safety and Medical Liability: A National Survey. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19148448. [PMID: 35886299 PMCID: PMC9318787 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19148448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Italian “Gelli–Bianco” law (law n. 24 enacted by the Italian Government on 8 March 2017) introduced innovative changes and regulations regarding patient safety and healthcare workers’ (HCWs) liability. We promoted a national survey to evaluate the effect of the law on HCWs. The questionnaire was edited and distributed using the free online tool “Google Forms” (Google LLC). The mode of administration chosen for the questionnaire was telematic self-completion. In particular, the questionnaire was sent to several portals of information, websites, in the scientific and medical sectors. Four hundred forty-five subjects participated in the survey. The differences in categorical variables for Gelli–Bianco Law reading with professional variables were analyzed in a univariate analysis using the Chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test. Reading the law is significantly and positively related to knowledge and communication of adverse events and sentinel events, checklist adoption, and participation in educational activities on risk management. The law’s implementation and promotion is a reliable educational tool for increasing patient safety culture and involving HCWs in risk management activities. Knowledge of the law, related education, and understanding of its application are still inadequate; therefore, educational programs regarding patient safety, risk management, and the contents of the law itself must be vigorously promoted to achieve clinical governance goals.
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Financial Expenses and “Losses” of the Polish Healthcare System Resulting from the Occurrence of Adverse Events. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19137932. [PMID: 35805590 PMCID: PMC9265973 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19137932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Background: The globally increasing healthcare expenditures related to the need to treat the consequences of adverse events, as well as the number of claims filed by patients (or their families) and remuneration paid as their result mean that the interest in the subject of adverse event cost management is increasing. An increase in the number of cases concerning medical errors has also occurred in Poland in recent years. The newest statistics from the Ministry of Justice demonstrate that the courts are awarding increasingly higher amounts. The goal of this work was an attempt to approximate, based on our own experiences, the impact of adverse events on the expenditures of the healthcare system in Poland, including the costs of treatment of the consequences of such events, described by the authors as “secondary harm”. Methods: Based on the analysis of 100 cases for compensation for the occurrence of a medical event, an initial estimate of the costs of primary (initial) treatment, which resulted in the occurrence of the adverse event, and the costs of subsequent hospitalisations/stays, which were its consequences. The study was conducted in the period from October 2020 to November of 2021. Results: The statistical analysis of the examined cases enabled establishing that in 62% they concerned women. Only 38% were events which applied to men. The highest number of cases concerned events which occurred in the last years, that is 2018 (35%), 2019 (23%), and 2017 (17%). The most frequent events included those related to incorrect diagnosis (the lack of correct diagnosis), which resulted in appropriate activities not being undertaken and a lack of appropriate treatment, e.g., lack of diagnosis of cancer, myocardial infarction, appendicitis, or fracture (26%). The next one was incorrect surgical treatment (17%)—the consequence of which was most frequently a need for repeated surgery and an incorrect conservative treatment of injuries. The obtained results demonstrate that significantly higher funds are spent by medical entities for “restorative” actions (on average EUR 1433, which attempt to mitigate against the negative consequences of incorrect decisions or actions in the original treatment (average cost of EUR 814)). Conclusions: The consequences of adverse events include not only health-related harm for the patient, but also long-term social, familial, or professional results. The authors of the article are of an opinion that all the conducted analyses and conclusions drawn from them should serve the improvement of patient safety. They also form an initial point for establishing recommendations and advice for the improvement of safety and quality of medical services and the reduction of healthcare-related costs. The authors propose covering the parties injured by an adverse event (subjected to “secondary harm”) with a unique, innovative programme of post-accident health care, “Health Reconstruction”.
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La Russa R, Fazio V, Ferrara M, Di Fazio N, Viola RV, Piras G, Ciano G, Micheletta F, Frati P. Proactive Risk Assessment Through Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) for Haemodialysis Facilities: A Pilot Project. Front Public Health 2022; 10:823680. [PMID: 35400067 PMCID: PMC8987154 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.823680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Haemodialysis (HD) is one of the methods for renal replacement therapy in the management of advanced chronic kidney disease through an osmosis process that allows purification of blood in the dialysis machine. The complexity of the dialytic procedure often requires the presence of a multi-specialist, multi-disciplinary team. The dialysis process is an important target for clinical risk management. Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) is a proactive technique, considered a purposeful and dynamic tool for clinical risk management. FMEA is noted in five phases that allow a preliminary assessment of a definite process through identification and classification of risk priorities. This study represents the first of a two-phase project where FMEA is applied to HD in the setting of San Feliciano Hospital. The dialysis center performs ~12,000 dialysis sessions per year. The dialysis process is divided into different stages. A total of 31 failure modes were identified in the whole dialysis stages; more than 2/3 of the failure modes were related to the only connecting of the patient to the dialysis machine. The first phase of the study clearly remarked that the most critical step of the dialytic process is represented by the connection between the patient and the machine, as expected. Indeed, in order to have the dialysis set up, an arteriovenous fistula must be surgically created prior to the procedure and it is one of the most important issues in the HD process because of the necessity of a constant revision of it. FMEA application to HD is a useful tool, easy to be implemented and it is likely to nimbly reveal the practical and potential solutions to the critical steps of the procedure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaele La Russa
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Forensic Pathology, University of Foggia, Ospedale Colonnello D'Avanzo, Foggia, Italy
| | - Valentina Fazio
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Michela Ferrara
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Forensic Pathology, University of Foggia, Ospedale Colonnello D'Avanzo, Foggia, Italy
| | - Nicola Di Fazio
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- *Correspondence: Nicola Di Fazio
| | - Rocco Valerio Viola
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Gianluca Piras
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Paola Frati
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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11
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D'Errico S, Zanon M, Radaelli D, Padovano M, Santurro A, Scopetti M, Frati P, Fineschi V. Medication Errors in Pediatrics: Proposals to Improve the Quality and Safety of Care Through Clinical Risk Management. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 8:814100. [PMID: 35096903 PMCID: PMC8795662 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.814100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Medication errors represent one of the most common causes of adverse events in pediatrics and are widely reported in the literature. Despite the awareness that children are at increased risk for medication errors, little is known about the real incidence of the phenomenon. Most studies have focused on prescription, although medication errors also include transcription, dispensing, dosage, administration, and certification errors. Known risk factors for therapeutic errors include parenteral infusions, oral fluid administration, and tablet splitting, as well as the off-label use of drugs with dosages taken from adult literature. Emergency Departments and Intensive Care Units constitute the care areas mainly affected by the phenomenon in the hospital setting. The present paper aims to identify the risk profiles in pediatric therapy to outline adequate preventive strategies. Precisely, through the analysis of the available evidence, solutions such as standardization of recommended doses for children, electronic prescribing, targeted training of healthcare professionals, and implementation of reporting systems will be indicated for the prevention of medication errors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano D'Errico
- Department of Medicine, Surgery, and Health, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Martina Zanon
- Department of Medicine, Surgery, and Health, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Davide Radaelli
- Department of Medicine, Surgery, and Health, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Martina Padovano
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Santurro
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
| | - Matteo Scopetti
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Frati
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Vittorio Fineschi
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Clinical Risk Management: As Modern Tool for Prevention and Management of Care and Prevention Occupational Risk. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19020831. [PMID: 35055652 PMCID: PMC8776016 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19020831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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Cirocchi R, Panata L, Griffiths EA, Tebala GD, Lancia M, Fedeli P, Lauro A, Anania G, Avenia S, Di Saverio S, Burini G, De Sol A, Verdelli AM. Injuries during Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: A Scoping Review of the Claims and Civil Action Judgements. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10225238. [PMID: 34830520 PMCID: PMC8622805 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10225238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background. To define what type of injuries are more frequently related to medicolegal claims and civil action judgments. Methods. We performed a scoping review on 14 studies and 2406 patients, analyzing medicolegal claims related to laparoscopic cholecystectomy injuries. We have focalized on three phases associated with claims: phase of care, location of injuries, type of injuries. Results. The most common phase of care associated with litigation was the improper intraoperative surgical performance (47.6% ± 28.3%), related to a “poor” visualization, and the improper post-operative management (29.3% ± 31.6%). The highest rate of defense verdicts was reported for the improper post-operative management of the injury (69.3% ± 23%). A lower rate was reported in the incorrect presurgical assessment (39.7% ± 24.4%) and in the improper intraoperative surgical performance (21.39% ± 21.09%). A defense verdict was more common in cystic duct injuries (100%), lower in hepatic bile duct (42.9%) and common bile duct (10%) injuries. Conclusions. During laparoscopic cholecystectomy, the most common cause of claims, associated with lower rate of defense verdict, was the improper intraoperative surgical performance. The decision to take legal action was determined often for poor communication after the original incident.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Cirocchi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, 06132 Perugia, Italy; (R.C.); (M.L.); (S.A.)
| | - Laura Panata
- Legal Medicine and Insurance Office, Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital, 06129 Perugia, Italy; (L.P.); (A.M.V.)
| | - Ewen A. Griffiths
- Department of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust, Birmingham B15 2GW, UK;
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Giovanni D. Tebala
- Surgical Emergency Unit, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford University NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK;
| | - Massimo Lancia
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, 06132 Perugia, Italy; (R.C.); (M.L.); (S.A.)
| | - Piergiorgio Fedeli
- School of Law, Legal Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy;
| | - Augusto Lauro
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Hospital “Policlinico Umberto I”, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy;
| | - Gabriele Anania
- Department of Medical Science, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy;
| | - Stefano Avenia
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, 06132 Perugia, Italy; (R.C.); (M.L.); (S.A.)
| | - Salomone Di Saverio
- Department of General Surgery, ASUR Marche, AV5, Hospital of San Benedetto del Tronto, 63074 San Benedetto del Tronto, Italy;
| | - Gloria Burini
- Department of General and Emergency Surgery, Hospital “Ospedali Riuniti di Ancona”, 60126 Ancona, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-3465700300
| | - Angelo De Sol
- Department of General Surgery, St. Maria Hospital, 05100 Terni, Italy;
| | - Anna Maria Verdelli
- Legal Medicine and Insurance Office, Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital, 06129 Perugia, Italy; (L.P.); (A.M.V.)
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De Giglio O, Napoli C, Diella G, Fasano F, Lopuzzo M, Apollonio F, D'Ambrosio M, Campanale C, Triggiano F, Caggiano G, Montagna MT. Integrated approach for legionellosis risk analysis in touristic-recreational facilities. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 202:111649. [PMID: 34252427 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Legionellosis is a severe pneumonia caused by the inhalation of aerosols containing Legionella, Gram-negative bacteria present in the water systems of touristic-recreational facilities. The purpose of this study was to develop a scoring tool to predict the risk of both environmental contamination and Legionnaires' disease cases in such facilities in the Apulia region of southern Italy. We analyzed 47 structural and management parameters/risk factors related to the buildings, water systems, and air conditioning at the facilities. A Poisson regression model was used to compute an overall risk score for each facility with respect to three outcomes: water samples positive for Legionella (risk score range: 7-54), water samples positive for Legionella with an average load exceeding 1000 colony-forming units per liter (CFU/L) (risk score range: 22-179,871), and clinical cases of Legionnaire's disease (risk score range: 6-31). The cut-off values for three outcomes were determined by receiver operating characteristic curves (first outcome, samples positive for Legionella in a touristic-recreational facility: 19; second outcome, samples positive for Legionella in a touristic-recreational facility with an average load exceeding 1000 CFU/L: 2062; third outcome, clinical cases of Legionnaire's disease in a touristic-recreational facility: 22). Above these values, there was a significant probability of observing the outcome. We constructed this predictive model using 70% of a large dataset (18 years of clinical and environmental surveillance) and tested the model on the remaining 30% of the dataset to demonstrate its reliability. Our model enables the assessment of risk for a touristic facility and the creation of a conceptual framework to link the risk analysis with prevention measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osvalda De Giglio
- Regional Reference Laboratory of Clinical and Environmental Surveillance of Legionellosis, Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124, Bari, Italy.
| | - Christian Napoli
- Department of Medical Surgical Sciences and Translational Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Via di Grottarossa 1035/1039, 00189, Rome, Italy.
| | - Giusy Diella
- Regional Reference Laboratory of Clinical and Environmental Surveillance of Legionellosis, Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124, Bari, Italy.
| | - Fabrizio Fasano
- Regional Reference Laboratory of Clinical and Environmental Surveillance of Legionellosis, Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124, Bari, Italy.
| | - Marco Lopuzzo
- Regional Reference Laboratory of Clinical and Environmental Surveillance of Legionellosis, Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124, Bari, Italy.
| | - Francesca Apollonio
- Regional Reference Laboratory of Clinical and Environmental Surveillance of Legionellosis, Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124, Bari, Italy.
| | - Marilena D'Ambrosio
- Regional Reference Laboratory of Clinical and Environmental Surveillance of Legionellosis, Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124, Bari, Italy.
| | - Carmen Campanale
- Regional Reference Laboratory of Clinical and Environmental Surveillance of Legionellosis, Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124, Bari, Italy.
| | - Francesco Triggiano
- Regional Reference Laboratory of Clinical and Environmental Surveillance of Legionellosis, Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124, Bari, Italy.
| | - Giuseppina Caggiano
- Regional Reference Laboratory of Clinical and Environmental Surveillance of Legionellosis, Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124, Bari, Italy.
| | - Maria Teresa Montagna
- Regional Reference Laboratory of Clinical and Environmental Surveillance of Legionellosis, Department of Biomedical Science and Human Oncology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124, Bari, Italy.
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Fineschi V, Arcangeli M, Di Fazio N, Del Fante Z, Fineschi B, Santoro P, Frati P. Defensive Medicine in the Management of Cesarean Delivery: A Survey among Italian Physicians. Healthcare (Basel) 2021; 9:healthcare9091097. [PMID: 34574870 PMCID: PMC8472348 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare9091097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Objectives: This study aims to contribute to the definition of the defensive medicine phenomenon between obstetricians and gynecologists, as well as to possible effects on the frequency of deliveries performed by cesarean sections (CS). Materials and Methods: a digital questionnaire was administered through a mail-list including 600 gynecological specialists (of these 168 doctors completed the test), both in public and private settings. It was made of twenty multiple choice questions, concerning their awareness about the practice of defensive medicine and the planning and execution of CS. All doctors involved received clear and complete information about the purpose of this study and about the organizations that received their answers. Analyses of variance and regression were performed to describe differences between groups and to estimate the relationships between variables. The value of p < 0.5 was considered statistically relevant. Results: our analysis revealed that most respondents are confident with the defensive medicine definition and characteristics. This survey confirmed that gynecologists fear legal actions promoted by their patients and therefore modulate their choices by implementing professional behaviors of so-called “defensive medicine”. This relates to a greater number of medical liability judgements, which more often concern omission or delayed execution of cesarean section, rather than unskillful surgical procedures. Conclusions: there are few data to support a relation between the high rate of CS and defensive medicine. Numerous scientific studies associated this CS rate with the phenomenon of defensive medicine. This practice is constantly growing in all medical areas, especially in high-risk specialties such as obstetrics and gynecology. Our study highlights physicians’ awareness of adopting defensive medicine behaviors in their clinical practice, affecting the choice of the type of delivery to be performed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vittorio Fineschi
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 336, 00161 Rome, Italy; (N.D.F.); (Z.D.F.); (P.S.); (P.F.)
- Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Neuromed, Via Atinense 18, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0649912722
| | - Mauro Arcangeli
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy;
| | - Nicola Di Fazio
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 336, 00161 Rome, Italy; (N.D.F.); (Z.D.F.); (P.S.); (P.F.)
| | - Zoe Del Fante
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 336, 00161 Rome, Italy; (N.D.F.); (Z.D.F.); (P.S.); (P.F.)
| | | | - Paola Santoro
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 336, 00161 Rome, Italy; (N.D.F.); (Z.D.F.); (P.S.); (P.F.)
| | - Paola Frati
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopaedical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 336, 00161 Rome, Italy; (N.D.F.); (Z.D.F.); (P.S.); (P.F.)
- Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Neuromed, Via Atinense 18, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy
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