ECRI releases annual top 10 tech hazard brief

The latest top 10 list of health technology hazards compiled by the ECRI Institute includes several new items and addresses risks existing outside acute care settings. These include sterilization process failures in some dental and medical offices, the home use of central venous catheters and cybersecurity threats associated with home monitoring devices. A brief goes into greater detail about these risks and two others of particular interest to nurses: alarm fatigue and electronic health record discrepancies possibly leading to medication errors. The misuse of surgical staplers, which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is considering reclassifying, topped the 2020 list. ECRI Institute is an independent organization focused on patient safety and health care quality. The federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality designated the organization an Evidence-based Practice Center. (ECRI news release, 10/7/19)