According to The Joint Commission, 80% of serious medical errors involve miscommunication. Reports indicate that 250,000-400,000 deaths occur every year due to miscommunication, making medical errors the 3rd leading cause of death overall. These numbers are staggering and highlight what is at stake when communication doesn’t work.
Communication is the most important tool we have in healthcare. With all the advancements we have made in clinical care, why haven’t we improved this important tool? Why are we still using a mix of outdated technologies? This is especially true in time sensitive emergencies, where additional factors compound not only the complexity of treatment but the size of the teams we communicate with.
BUT, there are care teams out there who are tackling the crisis. Dr. E. Stein Bronsky, medical director for the Colorado Springs Fire Department and AMR in El Paso County, and Dr. James Woodson, emergency physician and founder of Pulsara, recently conducted a live webinar, hosted by JEMS, to explore the steps Colorado Springs took to improve communication in their community. Enjoy!
