Chapters authored
Patient Safety: Preventing Patient Harm and Building Capacity for Patient Safety
Patient safety is a global public health concern. It is a health care discipline with ever evolving advancement and complexity resulting in consequential rise in patient harm. Since the pandemic, patient safety has been threatened even more by laying bare the inadequacies of health systems. Many unsafe care practices, risks, and errors contribute to patient harm and overall economic burden. These include medical, diagnostic, and radiation errors, healthcare associated infections, unsafe surgical procedures and transfusion practices, sepsis, venous thromboembolism, and falls. Although patient safety has become an integral part of the healthcare delivery model and resources have been dedicated towards it, much still needs to be achieved. An attitude of inclusivity for all care teams and anyone in contact with the patient, including the patients themselves, would enhance patient safety. Incorporating this attitude from educational infancy will allow for better identification of medical errors and inculcate critical analysis of process improvement. Implementing the ‘Just Culture’ by health care organizations can build the infrastructure to eliminate avoidable harm. To reduce avoidable harm and improve safety, a constant flow of information and knowledge should be available to mitigate the risks. Lastly, proper communication and effective leadership can play an imperative role to engage stakeholders and reduce harm.
Part of the book: Contemporary Topics in Patient Safety
Toxic Stress Affecting Families and Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Global Mental Health Crisis and an Emerging International Health Security Threat
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created numerous risk factors for families and children to experience toxic stress (TS). The widespread implementation of lockdowns and quarantines contributed to the increased incidence of domestic abuse and mental health issues while reducing opportunities for effective action, including social and educational interventions. Exposure to TS negatively affects a child’s development which may result in a lasting impact on the child’s life, as measured by tools, such as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) score. When TS becomes highly prevalent within a society, it may develop into a health security threat, both from short- and long-term perspectives. Specific resources to combat the pandemic have been put in place, such as COVID-19 vaccines, novel therapeutics, and the use of telemedicine. However, the overall implementation has been challenging due to a multitude of factors, and more effort must be devoted to addressing issues that directly or indirectly lead to the emergence of TS. Only then can we begin to reduce the incidence and intensity of pandemic-associated toxic stress.
Part of the book: Contemporary Developments and Perspectives in International Health Security