Communication Failures a Major Contributor to Adverse Events in Health Care
Communication failures in U.S. hospitals and medical practices were at least partly responsible for 30 percent of all malpractice claims resulting in 1,744 deaths and $1.7 billion in malpractice costs over five years, according to a 2015 study. The Joint Commission has issued a new Sentinel Event Alert to provide hospitals and other health care settings with seven recommendations to improve communication failures that occur when patients are transitioned from one caregiver to another or from one team of caregivers to another. ... |