Perspectives on Safety—Hand Hygiene

This month's interview with Didier Pittet, MD, MS, of WHO Collaborating Centre on Patient Safety at the University of Geneva Hospitals, Switzerland, covers strategies to improve hand hygiene, including the role of culture change. (Podcast available.)

In the accompanying perspective, Alexandre R. Marra, MD, of Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, and Michael B. Edmond, MD, MPH, MPA, of Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, describe barriers to hand hygiene compliance in health care along with strategies to enhance and measure it.

Cases & Commentaries

Spotlight Case: Medication Reconciliation With a TwistJanice L. Kwan, MD, of the University of Toronto, recommends a comprehensive approach for achieving highly accurate medication reconciliation. (CME/CEU credit available.)

Raise the Bar
James Stotts, RN, MS, CNS, and Audrey Lyndon, PhD, RNC, both of UCSF, discuss strategies to improve safety and prevent falls in perianesthesia care.

Discontinued Medications: Are They Really Discontinued?Celina Garza Mankey, MD, and Prathibha Varkey, MD, MPH, MBA, both of Seton Healthcare Family, highlight the importance of communication across the continuum of care to prevent adverse drug events.