Making patient safety a policy priority

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed many shortfalls in our preparedness to respond to public health emergencies. It also revealed heroes across the healthcare system, and demonstrated our ability to quickly bring safe, effective and innovative therapies to patients in critical need. 

This year, we have an opportunity to come together to address another critical public health issue – the persistent deficiencies in patient safety that put millions of people in our healthcare system at risk. 

Despite some recent advances, the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) reported in 2020 that patient safety remains a significant problem in our country.¹ Unfortunately, many of the toughest issues we face have burdened our healthcare system for years. 

Although they are not easy to solve, we know that with the right level of attention, resources and national resolve, far more can be done to protect the safety of people when they seek medical care. We should begin by prioritizing public policy changes that champion patient safety.

Two areas ripe for public policy improvements are the strengthening of vascular access standards, and reducing patient exposure to phthalates and other endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) found in many commonly used medical products.

One of the most common invasive procedures in healthcare is the insertion of a peripheral intravenous catheter (PIVC). However, only 57 percent of nursing students receive education on this procedure, leaving hospitals with the burden to train and ensure competency.² Even worse, research shows that the rates of PIVC failure and unscheduled restarts are unacceptably high, with failure rates ranging from 33-69 percent.³ This can lead to serious implications for patients and health systems, including medical complications, longer and more intensive care, and higher spending.⁴

B. Braun is partnering with the Association for Vascular Access (AVA) to develop a common curriculum to improve training on the placement of PIVCs. We believe these guidelines and educational materials will help reduce failure rates, improve outcomes, and boost patient satisfaction scores. But policy changes are also needed to drive the adoption of stronger standards and make serious PIVC complications reportable. Developing federal guidelines and reporting requirements on the use of PIVCs should be a priority for Secretary-designate Xavier Becerra once he is confirmed to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). 

A growing body of evidence shows that Americans receiving care in hospitals and other settings can be overly exposed to dangerous levels of phthalates, a family of toxic chemicals including diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), and other EDCs. Some products routinely used in patient treatment, such as IV bags, can contain up to 30-40 percent DEHP by weight, resulting in significant levels of exposure for neonates and other vulnerable patient populations.⁵ In 2002, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the availability of Draft Guidance on medical devices made with PVC and DEHP,⁶ but little action has been taken to reduce the use of these harmful chemicals.⁷

The time has come to take stronger action to protect patients from the health risks associated with exposure to harmful toxins used in the healthcare system. We call on the FDA to review and update its guidelines on the use of phthalates and other EDCs in medical products. We also urge HHS Secretary-designate Becerra to form a multi-agency task force to examine and recommend immediate steps to reduce patient exposure to toxins, educate healthcare providers about the science of endocrine disruption, and establish long-term plans to eliminate these risks.

B. Braun is committed to working with our government leaders, healthcare providers, educators, scientists, industry leaders and other stakeholders to support the adoption of public policies that ensure the safety of patients is protected each time they engage with the healthcare system. For additional information on B. Braun’s proposals to improve patient safety, view our Policy Recommendations.

Angela Karpf, MD, is Corporate Vice President, Medical Affairs, at B. Braun Medical Inc. Dr. Karpf has over 25 years of global leadership experience in the areas of Medical Affairs, Clinical Development, Pharmacovigilance and General Management in the Medical Device and Pharmaceutical industries. 
 

B. Braun Medical Inc., a leader in infusion therapy and pain management, develops, manufactures, and markets innovative medical products and services to the healthcare industry. Other key product areas include nutrition, pharmacy admixture and dialysis. The company is committed to eliminating preventable treatment errors and enhancing patient, clinician and environmental safety.
B. Braun Medical is headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and is part of the B. Braun Group of Companies in the U.S., which includes B. Braun Interventional Systems, Aesculap^® and CAPS^®.

Globally, the B. Braun Group of Companies employs more than 64,000 employees in 64 countries. Guided by its Sharing Expertise^® philosophy,
B. Braun continuously exchanges knowledge with customers, partners and clinicians to address the critical issues of improving care and lowering costs. To learn more about B. Braun Medical, visit bbraunusa.com.