Medical error

Life-support machine leaves patient brain-damaged

A tetraplegic man whose life-support machine was mistakenly turned off by an agency nurse has been left with severe brain damage.

ITN Mon Oct 25 2010 16:11:40

Patient sued Tun Hussin Onn National Eye Hospital

Man awarded RM1.2m for losing eye during surgery

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court has awarded RM1.2 million in damages to a company legal manager who lost his right eye during a surgery 11 years ago.

Judicial commissioner Zura Yahya also awarded Megat Noor Ishak Megat Ibrahim costs and interest. Of the amount, RM1 million was for aggravated damages.
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Zura said she was of the opinion that the blindness in Megat Noor's eye was because of bleeding (suprachoroidal haemorrhage) as a result of bucking (sudden movement).

"Therefore, the first and second defendants breached their duty of care when they failed to warm the plaintiff (Megat Noor) of the risk of bucking," she said.

Read more: Man awarded RM1.2m for losing eye during surgery http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles//2eyev/Article/#ixzz0z1Ut29E1

Bandar Kesihatan di Selangor

PKNS bangun Bandar Kesihatan

KUALA LUMPUR 4 Ogos - Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Selangor (PKNS) kini di peringkat akhir perancangan untuk mengadakan sebuah 'Bandar Kesihatan' di Selangor dalam usaha menyemarakkan pembangunan di bidang teknologi berkaitan industri perubatan di negeri itu yang menempatkan para pemain utama dunia.

Pengurus Besarnya, Othman Omar berkata, bandar berkenaan yang akan dibina di atas tanah seluas 480 hektar berdekatan dengan sebuah pusat pengajian tinggi awam (IPTA) tersebut, akan mempunyai sistem teleperubatan dan tele-kesihatan yang setanding dengan beberapa negara di rantau ini.

Another journals

Annals of Emergency Medicine is a publication of the American College of Emergency Medicine. It has an impact factor of 4.232. It iis an international, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to improving the quality of care by publishing the highest quality science for emergency medicine and related medical specialties. Annals publishes original research, clinical reports, opinion, and educational information related to the practice, teaching, and research of emergency medicine.

The British counterpart, Emergency Medicine Journal meanwhile has a lower impact factor of 1.477. It is an international peer review journal covering pre-hospital and hospital emergency medicine, and critical care.

Prehospital Emergency Care with impact factor 1.297 (2009) publishes peer-reviewed information relevant to the practice, educational advancement, and investigation of prehospital emergency care.

The Journal of Emergency Medicine (impact factor 1.265) is an international, peer-reviewed publication featuring original contributions of interest to both the academic and practicing emergency physician.

A distinctive blend of practicality and scholarliness makes the American Journal of Emergency Medicine a key source for information on emergency medical care. Covering all activities concerned with emergency medicine, it is the journal to turn to for information to help increase the ability to understand, recognize and treat emergency conditions.

Journal of Emergency Primary Health Care, a peer-reviewed, international journal to advance and promote the science and the art of prehospital care research, education, clinical practice, policy and service delivery, and to provide a forum to respond to the professional interests of the multidisciplinary emergency primary health care community.

Academic Emergency Medicine has an impact factor of 2.478

The International Journal for Quality in Health Care makes activities and research related to quality and safety in health care available to a worldwide readership. It has an impact factor of 1.881

The International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance provides a forum for the international exchange of theoretical and practical aspects of quality and management in health care and helps to develop knowledge about continuous improvement and its implementation in health care organisations.

Safety Science serves as an international medium for research in the science and technology of human safety. It extends from safety of people at work to other spheres, such as transport, leisure and home, as well as every other field of man's hazardous activities. It has an impact factor of 1.222.

think before you call 999

‘Only dial 999 when it’s vital’, Yorkshire Ambulance Service chiefs warn

9:50am Tuesday 20th July 2010

AMBULANCE bosses have urged people only to phone 999 when absolutely necessary, after soaring fuel prices left them with an £850,000 budget black hole.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) said too many people were calling for ambulances needlessly, because they thought it would help them jump the queue for treatment at hospital.

Poster presentation

Harris Shah Abd Hamid, Patrick Waterson. Towards an integrated socio-technical framework for situation awareness and decision-making in emergency pre-hospital care.

This poster was presented at The 2nd North British Patient Safety Research Symposium, 6 November 2009, Aberdeen, Scotland.

Conference Paper

Situation Awareness to Support Decision-Making among Emergency Care Practitioners

9th Bi-annual International Conference on Naturalistic Decision Making (NDM9)

BCS London, 23 - 26 June 2009.

AUTHORS

Harris Shah Abd Hamid, Patrick Waterson and Sue Hignett

ABSTRACT

Motivation - To understand a new work role in emergency medical services, the relationship between situation awareness (SA) and decision-making among emergency care practitioners (ECPs) is examined. Research approach - A scoping study was completed and involved observations (36 hours of ride-outs and 4 hours of sit-ins) and semi-structured interviews with a group of ECPs and Triage Nurses at an ambulance control room. A subject matter expert was consulted to validate a communication map derived from the observations and interviews. Findings/Design - The results show that system’s factors could affect the creation of SA and decision-making. As a result, a framework for SA and decision-making among ECPs was developed. Originality/Value - This study extends the study of SA into emergency medical services domain. It also contributes in understanding a new practitioner role in the UK. Take away message - Factors related to the development of SA should be understood to support decisionmaking among ECPs and thereby improve the quality of care in emergency medicine.