Staffing shortages and healthcare workers’ mental health top a list of patient safety concerns released today by ECRI, the nation’s largest nonprofit patient safety organization. While the annual list is typically dominated by clinical issues caused by device malfunctions or medical errors, ECRI researchers say the most significant concerns at present are caused by crises that have simmered, but COVID-19 exponentially worsened. While both trends were known, their effect on patient care was not well documented. Now, ECRI researchers say inadequate staffing is actively jeopardizing patient safety. Due to staffing shortages, many patients are waiting longer for care, even in life-threatening emergencies, or simply being turned away. With reports of more healthcare workers planning on leaving the industry, ECRI experts say patients could face even higher risks without proactive solutions. Without intervention, the chaos and understaffing in hospitals and other healthcare settings seen over the last two years could become the new normal for the foreseeable future.
CSSE is reporting 79,564,757 positive cases in the U.S. and 965,203 deaths. DOH reported for the week ending March 10, 5,824,728 confirmed cases in Florida with 71,860 deaths.