Background: Effective and timely communication among caregivers is one of the 2016 Hospital National Patient Safety Goals set forth by the Joint Commission. The pager messaging system remains predominant in the U.S health care system, but is this one-way pager device falling out of favor over smart phones in the health care setting? There is [...]

Background: Despite advances in communication technology, alphanumeric paging remains a mainstay of hospital communication. High paging volume can lead to disruptions in clinical work. In this study, we sought to evaluate both the frequency and the content of paging messages from nurses to physicians. We subsequently implemented interventions aimed at decreasing unnecessary pages.   Methods: [...]

Background: Medical errors and adverse events are leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Reporting errors – both those that do and do not cause harm to patients – is paramount to preventing recurrences within the medical system and, therefore, reducing future harm. However, physicians may be reluctant to disclose errors due [...]

Background: Hospital reimbursement for medical necessity is based on the level of care a patient is receiving. In the electronic medical record (EMR), the level of care, inpatient or observation, is determined by a practitioner order or physician certification. The timeliness of this order is of utmost importance, as medical necessity is a dynamic status. [...]