New Study Finds Adverse Drug Events Are the Most Common Adverse Events in High Income Countries

An international study of medical harm in hospitals reveals that in high income countries, including the United States, the most common adverse events are adverse drug events, occurring in five percent of hospital stays.

The research team analyzed 4,000 articles examining substandard care in hospitals, focusing on seven key facets of poor care: adverse drug events; catheter-associated urinary tract infections; catheter-associated bloodstream infections; hospital acquired pneumonia; blood clots; and pressure ulcers.

They found for every 100 hospital admissions, 14 cases of substandard care occurred in high-income countries, for a total of  nearly 17 million cases of harm. Thirteen occurred in low- and middle-income countries, for a total of nearly 26 million cases of harm.

The research team noted that adverse drug events are among the most preventable adverse events. The study was reported on on the DoctorsLounge website.

An INQRI-funded study led by Linda Costa and Robert Feroli, evaluated the effectiveness of using a nurse-pharmacist team to oversee medication management during the transition from hospital to home and from hospital health care provider to primary care provider to prevent adverse drug events. Nurses in the study, which was published in the Journal of Nursing Quality Care, were able to detect medication discrepancies and help correct them. They were also able to encourage patients to fill prescriptions and take them in the correct doses.

Nurses' Home Visits Decrease Postpartum Depression

Nurses' knowledge and skills can often serve patients well after they've been discharged from the hospital. A new study in the current issue of the Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Neonatal Nursing finds an additional instance in which nurses can provide post-discharge care and improve outcomes for patients: reducing the incidence of postpartum depression in new mothers. The study findings were also reported in Advance for Nurses.

According to the study, led by June Andrews Horowitz at the William Connell School of Nursing at Boston College, nurses who visited new mothers and provided a sympathetic ear, assistance with referrals and help recognizing infants' cues were able to significantly improve mother-child interaction and symptoms of depression in the new mothers.

The nurses visited mothers in their homes at six weeks and three, six and nine months postpartum. Each visit lasted an hour.

An INQRI-funded study led by Linda Costa and Robert Feroli and published in the Journal of Nursing Quality Care, revealed that nurses who consulted with pharmacists and visited patients and their families at home post-discharge helped improve patients' adherence to their medication regimens.

The nurses conducted at-home interviews with patients about their medication, and observed whether patients had obtained the prescribed medication, how they were organizing their medication, how often they took it, and whether they obtained refills. They were also able to educate and coach patients about their medication and help them develop plans and systems to ensure they took the correct doses of medications at the correct intervals.