January 2018

Up Front

To avoid missed referrals in ambulatory settings, close the loop

Physician practices describe how they are using electronic systems and accountability to make sure patients get the specialty follow-up they need.

Five Questions

Providing safe care to transgender patients with Susan Boisvert

Acceptance, communication, and willingness to learn are key to providing transgender individuals with safe, patient-centered care.

- Susan Boisvert, Senior Risk Specialist at Coverys 

Safety News

New research underscores need for better ways to talk about patient safety

Building a broader constituency to boost safety efforts requires new communication tools. 

Safety Snapshot

Name-tags go viral for safety

Introducing yourself to colleagues and patients is a simple and profound way to improve safety, especially when the solutions are direct and home grown. 

One More Thing

The Joint Commission to cite organizations when staff fail to wash their hands

Fourteen years after hand hygiene became a National Patient Safety Goal, health care organizations are being held accountable for staff behavior. 

Upcoming event

Innovative Approaches to Enhance Care Transitions and Medication Safety

When: Thursday, January 25, 2018 from 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
What: A free webinar offered by the New England Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organization features speakers from CT and VT discussing new approaches to help patients safely transition to home care.
Click for more information and to register

Patient Safety Beat is published monthly by the Betsy Lehman Center, a state agency that uses communications, research, and data to catalyze the efforts of providers, policymakers, and consumers working toward safer health care in Massachusetts.