MedStaff Update: March 2017

Physician Wellness Survey Finds Increased Burnout at Stanford 
Physician burnout continues to plague the US health care system, with 54 percent of physicians nationally reporting signs of burnout. Stanford is not immune to this increasing trend. Results from the 2016 Physician Wellness survey found that more than a third of Stanford physicians are experiencing burnout. 

New Center Takes Proactive Approach to Patient Safety
With the creation of the Center for Advancing Patient Safety, Stanford has broadened its approach to improving patient safety—bringing in four separate scientific disciplines to proactively identify vulnerabilities within the system, and then amend them before patient harm occurs.

Smartphones Could Be Game-Changing Tool for Cardiovascular Research
Stanford researchers say that data collected through MyHeart Counts, a heart-health study in which participants transmit information through an app, demonstrates the potential of smartphones to transform the measurement of physical activity and fitness for clinical research.

Patient Safety: Lessons Learned
Preventing Medical Tubing Misconnections
By Alexis Reeves, RN, Director of Patient Safety Operations & Implementation
Stanford Health Care has reported several tubing misconnection events that could have resulted in permanent harm to the patient or even death. A number of safety measures have been implemented to prevent harm, while awaiting the installation of new safer devices throughout the system. 

Featured Guest Contributor
Quinn McKenna, Chief Operating Officer
Stanford Health Care COO Quinn McKenna shares his thoughts about his new job and the evolving health care landscape.