News

The symbiotic relationship between patient safety and healthcare worker safety and the need for institutional championship of a safety of culture are the focus of a recent monograph released by the Joint Commission in late 2012. The document, "Improving Patient and Worker Safety: Opportunities for Synergy, Collaboration and Innovation," contends that high rates of injuries and illnesses among healthcare workers serve as a warning that the healthcare environment as a whole must be transformed in order to improve safety.

Educating and empowering patients to actively participate in their care helps reduce a patient's risk of hospital acquired infections. Creating an open dialogue, however, can be a challenge in today's healthcare. So how can hospitals improve their patient education programs and help patients become empowered and active in their treatment?

We share the success stories of two hospitals that are driving down device-related infection rates and upholding high levels of patient safety within their institutions.

The World Health Organization (WHO) provides the following frequently asked questions and answers about the influenza A(H7N9) virus that has now killed six people and infected 14 in China.

Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories are developing a medical instrument that will be able to quickly detect a suite of biothreat agents, including anthrax, ricin, botulinum, shiga and SEB toxin.