ECRI, the patient safety organization, has published its annual list of the ten health technology hazards it is monitoring in 2024.
WHY IT MATTERS
As part of its safety-focused mission, the nonprofit ECRI conducts independent evaluations of medical devices – and potential risks associated with home use of devices, by both patients and their caregivers. this year’s edition of the list.
“There is evidence that more people are receiving medical care at home as the US population ages and the number of adults with chronic conditions increases,” ECRI researchers said in announcing the results of their 2024 report. “As a result, medical devices are becoming such as infusion pumps and ventilators are now used at home, sometimes by healthcare providers and patients who have not been adequately trained.”
The researchers say they have seen many cases of harm to patients due to untrained or improper use of devices at home.
“Medication errors can occur when changing infusion pumps. Skin damage can occur if the electrodes of a heart monitor are incorrectly applied. Fatalities can occur if a home ventilator alarm is not activated or heard, or if the venous needle becomes dislodged during use of a hemodialysis machine.”
As more hospitals and healthcare systems embrace and expand various remote monitoring and hospital-at-home initiatives that deliver care and manage patients’ health conditions, these concerns are becoming increasingly urgent.
This is the 17th edition of ECRI’s Top 10 Health Technology Hazards report, which aims to highlight the risks that healthcare providers and device manufacturers should be aware of when developing and deploying new devices and systems that could impact on patient safety.
This year’s Top 10 list, in order:
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Problems with the usability of medical devices in the home
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Inadequate cleaning instructions for medical devices
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Preparation of medicinal products without technological guarantees
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Environmental damage from patient care
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Insufficient governance of AI in medical technologies
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Ransomware as a critical threat to the healthcare sector
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Burns from single foil electrosurgical electrodes
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Damaged infusion pumps risk medication errors
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Defects of implantable orthopedic products
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Web analytics software and misuse of patient data
THE BIG TREND
In addition to its work with medical devices, ECRI has worked with other groups, such as the EHR Association, on security issues related to behavioral health IT, acute care patients with mental health conditions, and others.
And of course it has been publishing its lists of health hazards for years. And this isn’t the first time cyberattacks and data integrity have been highlighted by the group as key patient safety challenges.
ON THE RECORD
“Serious damage can occur from misuse or malfunction of medical equipment in the home,” says Dr. Marcus Schabacker, president and CEO of ECRI said in a statement. “Patients and caregivers who misinterpret device readings may experience a false sense of security. Errors can go unnoticed or unreported, making it difficult to identify problematic trends.
“When designing a medical device, it is critical that human factors and the end user are taken into account,” Schabacker said. “As more patients receive medical care outside of hospitals and nursing homes, the realities of modern healthcare facilities should influence the design of devices and other supplies we need to keep patients healthy.”
Mike Miliard is editor-in-chief of Healthcare IT News
Email the writer: mike.miliard@himssmedia.com
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS publication.