Social campaigns to social change? Sexual violence framing in U.S. news before and after #metoo

The discussion on sexual violence gained momentum in October 2017 after the Twitter hashtag (#metoo) spread globally highlighting the widespread reality of this problem. While this resulted in extensive media coverage, and naturally informed audiences about societal issues, it can also be problematic regarding the media’s power to reflect and construct reality. Therefore, it is important to research how societal issues like sexual violence are discussed in media settings. The study aimed to investigate how journalists frame sexual violence in the news (RQ1) and whether such practices have changed in the wake of the MeToo movement (RQ2). A quantitative content analysis was conducted for news articles published in four US newspapers, spanning a period of 2 years – from 1 year before to 1 year after the #metoo tweet ( N = 612; Oct. 2016 – Oct. 2018). Results indicate that news coverage on sexual violence shifted from straightforward, single-incident reports to broader discussions. This study contributes to scientific research and journalism practices by providing an overarching view of how sexual violence is framed in the news and the potential impact of social movements on reportage.

Significant differences in the quality of incident reports - a comparison of four acute hospitals in Finland

ObjectivesThe aim of the study was to compare the quality of the content of patient safety incident reports of “near miss” and “adverse event” occurrences, and to examine whether the contributing factors behind the incident were identified.MethodsData were collected from an electronic incident reporting system for a one-year period (2015) at four acute hospitals in Finland. The analysis framework was based on the incident reporting guidelines, and the results were analyzed using statistical methods.ResultsThe most deficiencies were in records of the consequences of the event for the staff and unit (47%) and the consequences of the event (35%). The description of the content of “near miss” situations did not differ significantly from “adverse event” situations, but statistically significant differences were found between the hospitals in the quality of the description of the content of incident reports.ConclusionIncident reports did not always identify the processes behind the incident or the factors that contributed to the occurrence of the incident, such as human error. Blaming was still evident in the incident report descriptions.

Characteristics of Patient Safety Incident Occurrences Reported by Japanese Homecare Nurses: A Prospective Observational Study

Patient safety incidents (PSIs) prevention is important in healthcare because PSIs affect patients negatively and increase medical costs and resource use. However, PSI knowledge in homecare is limited. To analyze patient safety issues and strategies, we aimed to identify the characteristics and contexts of PSI occurrences in homecare settings. A prospective observational study was conducted between July and November 2017 at 27 Japanese homecare nurse (HCN) agencies. HCNs at each agency voluntarily completed PSI reports indicating whether they contributed to PSIs or were informed of a PSI by the client/informal caregiver/other care provider during a period of three months. A total of 139 PSIs were analyzed, with the most common being falls (43.9%), followed by medication errors (25.2%). Among the PSIs reported to the HCN agencies, 44 were recorded on formal incident report forms, whereas 95 were reported as PSIs that required a response (e.g., injury care) but were not recorded on formal incident report forms. Most PSIs that occurred when no HCN was visiting were not recorded as incident reports (82.1%). Developing a framework/system that can accumulate, analyze, and share information on PSIs that occur in the absence of HCNs may provide insights into PSIs experienced by HCN clients.

The Impact of COVID Restrictions Among Rates of Falling in Assisted Living Residents

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, assisted living group activities and congregate dining stopped and residents were confined to their rooms. While this may have kept residents safer from contracting the virus, it also reduced their physical activity levels. The aim of this study was to investigate if rates of falls in one assisted living community varied as a result of COVID-19 restrictions. We analyzed fall incident reports from n=155 residents from October 2019 to October 2020. Results showed a total of n=802 falls in the year-long period (range of 1-30 falls per resident; mean = 5.17; SD=5.6 in the 12 month period). The majority (65%) of falls occurred in resident rooms. 55% of falls occurred between 6am and 6pm. The primary cause of these falls was loss of balance (30%). Comparing falls that occurred 5 months pre-restriction (Oct 2019-Feb 2020) with 5 months post-restriction (April 2020-August 2021) showed non-significant differences between time periods (p=.59). However, analyzing rates of falls by month showed a range of 46 - 88 falls by month with the lowest number occurring in winter months and the peak number of falls occurring in both Oct 2019 and 2020. Despite the majority of falls occurring in resident rooms, Covid restrictions of room confinement did not appear to impact the prevalence of falls in this sample. However, the seasonal variation warrants further research and those in assisted living should consider seasonal variations and proactively implement policies to prevent falls during these times.

Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture in Dental Hospitals in the Twin cities, Pakistan

Objective: The purpose of our research is to evaluate the patient safety culture at Islamabad and Rawalpindi teaching hospitals. Materials and methods: A validated and slightly modified questionnaire was sent as a google forms link via WhatsApp and email to different teaching dental hospitals in the twin cities. The returned questionnaires were examined with IBM's statistical package for social sciences (version 22).). Results: 139 complete questionnaires were analyzed and results were calculated as average positive and average negative responses. Conclusion: This pilot study demonstrated that degree of patient safety in general in the Hospitals of Pakistan was acceptable. The number of incident reports were very low. Many participants also stated that the hospital is only concerned about patient safety after an unfavorable incident occurs., but they also reported that mistakes always lead to positive outcomes and the departments coordinate well with each other. Key words: Patient safety, incident reports, dental teaching hospital.