Obesity is a well-known health concern in the United States. In 2023, obesity rates for adults were at or higher than 35 percent in 23 states; fewer than 5 states had similar rates in 2013.1 Bariatric surgery is an effective treatment option for many individuals who suffer from obesity. Although the introduction of newer weight-loss medications has resulted in less demand for bariatric surgery, these medicines likely won’t replace surgery — particularly for patients who experience medication-related barriers (e.g., side effects, lack of insurance coverage, etc.).2
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Laura M. Cascella, MA, CPHRM
The medication process represents an area of high risk across the healthcare spectrum. Despite a diverse range of interventions over the years, issues related to medication safety still prove challenging for healthcare organizations. For home healthcare organizations and providers, these issues are particularly complex for numerous reasons, including the care setting and the patient population.
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Laura M. Cascella, MA, CPHRM
Child abuse is an abhorrent, but not uncommon, problem in society. Stories abound in the media about children who have suffered maltreatment at the hands of parents, family members, caregivers, and strangers. Maltreatment might involve physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional/psychological abuse, or neglect — and children often are victims of more than one type of abuse.
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Laura M. Cascella, MA, CPHRM
Aspiration or ingestion of foreign material is a potential adverse event that can occur in the practice of dentistry. Dental patients can aspirate (inhale) or ingest (swallow) various types of foreign bodies, such as extracted teeth, crowns, orthodontic wires, dental burs, drills, files, implant materials, clamps, posts, pins, and more.1
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Laura M. Cascella, MA, CPHRM
In recent years, advocacy groups, researchers, healthcare providers, and others have raised awareness and understanding about diagnostic errors, bringing attention to the profound effect that these mistakes have on patients, families, and clinicians.
Read moreLaura M. Cascella, MA, CPHRM
Informed consent is a pillar of patient engagement and patient-centered care. It helps patients gain a full understanding of the benefits and risks of proposed procedures and treatments, which allows them to make educated decisions. But what happens when patients are infants, children, or adolescents?
Read moreLaura M. Cascella, MA, CPHRM
Engaging patients and their families in the diagnostic process is a key strategy for building effective diagnostic teams and reducing diagnostic errors. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s pivotal report Improving Diagnosis in Health Care states that “Health care professionals and organizations are responsible for creating environments in which patients and their families can learn about and engage in the diagnostic process and provide feedback about their experience.”1
Read moreMarcy A. Metzgar
One of the key challenges in addressing maternal mortality is the racial disparity that exists. Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than White women.1 While maternal mortality rates dropped remarkably for White and Hispanic women in 2023, Black women saw markedly higher rates at 50.3 deaths per 100,000 live births compared to 14.5 for White women, 12.4 for Hispanic women, and 10.7 for Asian women.2 In fact, women in the United States are 50 percent more likely to die in childbirth than their own mothers.3
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