Background: Diagnostic errors in hospitalized patients are difficult to identify and quantify: error rates range from 4.8 to 49.8%. Though chart review tools, like the Safer Dx instrument, have been developed to assess the presence of diagnostic error in ambulatory settings, they have yet to be validated for acute care. A key issue is identifying […]

Background: Nebulized bronchodilator therapies (“nebs”) are commonly used in the inpatient setting for the treatment of obstructive pulmonary symptoms. Neb administration, however, requires direct respiratory therapist (RT) care, making them a resource‐intensive therapy. Metered dose inhalers (MDIs) have been shown to be equally effective as nebs, but are commonly misused by patients. Therefore, administering unnecessary […]