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.
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Laura 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?
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Laura 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
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Marcy 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
Read more Laura M. Cascella, MA, CPHRM
Successful communication among healthcare providers has long been a critical element of patient safety, particularly now with the growing emphasis on collaborative and team-based care. As healthcare delivery has evolved and caring for the patient population has become more complicated, the paradigm of the solo practitioner has given way to more complex healthcare systems and multidisciplinary teams that involve clinical and nonclinical roles.
Read more Laura M. Cascella, MA, CPHRM
The concept of psychological safety is increasingly viewed as a critical component of an overall culture of safety in healthcare. Leaders and other individuals within healthcare organizations have seen the value of psychological safety in promoting an environment of caring and well-being, improving patient outcomes, preventing staff burnout, cultivating staff resilience, and supporting staff recruitment and retention. Psychological safety also plays a pivotal role in fostering diversity, belonging, and openness.
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