Publications by authors named "Wesley Stephens"
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to evaluate whether a standardized root cause analysis (RCA2) selection algorithm by the Veterans Affairs would effectively identify high-risk events for further investigation.
- Researchers analyzed a year's worth of physician-reported incident data to assess potential harm and frequency, applying specific scoring systems to classify the events.
- Results showed that the RCA2 algorithm recommended investigating 56.7% of safety events, significantly more than the current process which only identified 17.3%, indicating that the standardized approach could improve patient safety evaluations.
Objectives Incident reporting is vital to a culture of safety; however, physicians report at an alarmingly low rate. This study aimed to identify barriers to incident reporting among surgeons at a quaternary care center. Methods A survey was created utilizing components of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) validated survey on patient safety culture.
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- Physician burnout and wellbeing are critical issues in healthcare, with mobile technology influencing communication but potentially increasing workplace stress (telepressure).
- A survey was conducted among internal medicine and general surgery faculty and residents to assess factors related to burnout, showing strong internal validity and significant correlations with established burnout measures.
- Results indicated that surgical trainees experience the highest levels of burnout across all examined domains, highlighting the need for targeted strategies to alleviate workplace telepressure and enhance physician wellbeing.
Background: Operating room (OR) handoffs are not universally standardized, although standardized sign outs have been proven to provide effective communication in other aspects of healthcare. We hypothesize that creating a standardized handoff will improve communication between OR staff.
Study Design: A frontline stakeholder approached our quality improvement team with concern regarding inadequate quality surgical technician handoffs during staff changes.
Article Synopsis
- Kentucky's Medicaid expansion led to a significant decrease in uninsured rates, improving access to healthcare for residents.
- A study of IBD patient encounters showed a reduction in hospitalizations and emergency visits, while outpatient care and elective procedures increased after the expansion.
- Overall, Medicaid expansion enhanced preventative care access, lowered hospital costs, and shifted healthcare utilization patterns for IBD patients in Kentucky.