Latest News On Patient Safety

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Illinois Clamps Down On Nursing Homes In Wake Of KHN-Chicago Tribune Investigation

KFF Health News Original

In reaction to an investigation by Kaiser Health News and the Chicago Tribune, the Illinois legislature has passed a new law to impose fines on nursing homes that fail to meet minimum staffing requirements.

¿Cómo combatir las aterradoras súper bacterias? Cooperación y un jabón especial

KFF Health News Original

En los Estados Unidos, cada año, al menos dos millones de personas se infectan con bacterias resistentes a los antibióticos, y unas 23,000 mueren por esas infecciones. La clave de prevención puede ser simple.

How To Fight ‘Scary’ Superbugs? Cooperation — And A Special Soap

KFF Health News Original

Hospitals and nursing homes in California and Illinois hope that regional cooperation — and a special soap — will help them gain the upper hand against deadly antibiotic-resistant superbugs.

Lethal Plans: When Seniors Turn To Suicide In Long-Term Care

KFF Health News Original

In a nation where the suicide rate continues to climb, such deaths among older adults are often overlooked. A six-month investigation by KHN and PBS NewsHour finds that older Americans are quietly killing themselves in nursing homes, assisted living centers and adult care homes.

Five Things To Know About The Electronic Health Records Mess

KFF Health News Original

The U.S. government claimed that ditching paper medical charts for electronic records would make health care better, safer and cheaper. Ten years and $36 billion later, the digital revolution has gone awry.

Death By 1,000 Clicks: Where Electronic Health Records Went Wrong

KFF Health News Original

The U.S. government claimed that turning American medical charts into electronic records would make health care better, safer and cheaper. Ten years and $36 billion later, the system is an unholy mess. Inside a digital revolution that took a bad turn.

Hidden FDA Reports Detail Harm Caused By Scores Of Medical Devices

KFF Health News Original

The Food and Drug Administration has let medical device companies file reports of injuries and malfunctions outside a widely scrutinized public database, leaving doctors and medical sleuths in the dark.

Medicare Trims Payments To 800 Hospitals, Citing Patient Safety Incidents

KFF Health News Original

The penalties are part of a program set up by the Affordable Care Act to prompt hospitals to pay more attention to safety issues that can lead to injuries, such as falls or hospital-acquired infections.

Community Hospitals Link Arms With Prestigious Facilities To Raise Their Profiles

KFF Health News Original

A growing number of community hospitals are forming alliances with some of the nation’s biggest and most prestigious institutions. But for prospective patients, it can be hard to assess what these relationships actually mean.