Magdalena Hoffmann
Medizinische Universität Graz, Endo, Faculty Member
Background: Medication errors are common in hospitals. Our aim was to investigate risks of the analogue and digitally-supported medication use process and potential for solutions.Methods: A mixed-method study including a structured... more
Background: Medication errors are common in hospitals. Our aim was to investigate risks of the analogue and digitally-supported medication use process and potential for solutions.Methods: A mixed-method study including a structured literature search, and questionnaires based on the Delphi method was conducted. To identify major risks, a literature search was supplemented by risks from Critical-Incident-Reporting-System cases and risks from experts’ know-how. First, all risks were structured into main and sub-risks and second, risks were grouped into risk clusters. Third, experts were asked to assess risk clusters regarding likelihood of occurrence and impact on patient safety and regarding potential for solutions to strengthen the competence of health care professionals and potential for solutions in digitalization.Results: Overall, 160 main risks and 542 sub-risks were identified. Main risks were grouped into 43 risk clusters. In total, 33 experts (56% female, 50% with >20 years...
Research Interests:
ZusammenfassungIn diesem Empfehlungspapier werden zentrale Vorschläge für den Besuch von Kindern auf Intensivstationen (Pädiatrie und Erwachsenenbereich), Intermediate-care-Stationen und in Notaufnahmen vorgestellt. Auf Intensivstationen... more
ZusammenfassungIn diesem Empfehlungspapier werden zentrale Vorschläge für den Besuch von Kindern auf Intensivstationen (Pädiatrie und Erwachsenenbereich), Intermediate-care-Stationen und in Notaufnahmen vorgestellt. Auf Intensivstationen und in Notaufnahmen im deutschsprachigen Raum werden die Besuchsregelungen für Kinder und Jugendliche sehr heterogen gestaltet. Mitunter dürfen sie ohne Begrenzungen in Alter und Dauer Patient:innen besuchen, manchmal ist dies erst ab dem Teenageralter und nur für kurze Dauer möglich. Ein Besuchswunsch von Kindern löst beim Personal oftmals unterschiedliche, teilweise ablehnende Reaktionen aus. Leitungen sind aufgefordert, diese Haltung gemeinsam mit ihren Mitarbeiter:innen zu reflektieren und eine Kultur der familienorientierten Versorgung zu entwickeln. Obwohl die Evidenz für Vorteile durch Kinder als Besuchende begrenzt ist, spricht mehr für als gegen einen Besuch, auch in hygienischer, psychosozialer, ethischer, religiöser und kultureller Hinsic...
Research Interests: Medicine and Gynecology
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Relatives of intensive care patients have a very high need for information. This is due to the acute and serious, often life-threatening illness of the patients and the very complex and technical environment of an intensive care unit... more
Relatives of intensive care patients have a very high need for information. This is due to the acute and serious, often life-threatening illness of the patients and the very complex and technical environment of an intensive care unit (ICU). Unmet needs for information can increase anxiety, sleep disorders, stress, and depressive symptoms in the relatives. The potential of the ICU families website in terms of usability and functionality during real-time testing were evaluated. The ICU families project created a dynamic online information platform in the form of a password-protected website. It contains pictures, written explanations, 5 movies, a forum and a diary function. The usability of the website was tested among 10 lay people and 10 experts (7 nurses and 3 physicians) according to the Think Aloud Method. The outcome is qualitative feedback based on video documentation by laypeople and suggestions by experts. Criticisms mentioned by the test subjects were insufficient image mate...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Kaum ein Thema wird so kontrovers diskutiert wie der Besuch von Kindern und Jugendlichen unter 18 Jahren auf einer Erwachsenenintensivstation. Beim medizinischen Fachpersonal werden oft Alter, potenzielle Traumatisierung beim Anblick der... more
Kaum ein Thema wird so kontrovers diskutiert wie der Besuch von Kindern und Jugendlichen unter 18 Jahren auf einer Erwachsenenintensivstation. Beim medizinischen Fachpersonal werden oft Alter, potenzielle Traumatisierung beim Anblick der Patienten, hygienische Aspekte, Unerfahrenheit in Bezug auf kognitive und emotionale Entwicklung des Kindes, zusätzliche Arbeitsbelastung sowie Störungen in persönlicher Aufmerksamkeit und Arbeitsorganisation als Barrieren genannt. Im Dezember 2019 hat sich unter dem Dach der DIVI ein internationales Forschungsteam gegründet, das Barrieren, Fakten und Mythen zum Thema „Kinder als besuchende Angehörige auf der Erwachsenenintensivstation“ auf den Grund gehen will.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
ObjectivesThe discharge summary (DS) represents one of the most important instruments to ensure a safe patient discharge from the hospital. They sometimes have poor quality in content and often include medical jargon, which the patient... more
ObjectivesThe discharge summary (DS) represents one of the most important instruments to ensure a safe patient discharge from the hospital. They sometimes have poor quality in content and often include medical jargon, which the patient and their relatives cannot easily understand. Therefore, many risks for patient safety exist. This study investigated the questions for whom the DS is and which contents are necessary to ensure a safe treatment.DesignCross-sectional analysis.SettingStyria, Austria.Participants3948 internal and external physicians were consulted.InterventionsAn online survey consisting of 24 questions was conducted. The survey was distributed to physicians working in the province of Styria, Austria, in 2018 over a period of 6 months.Main outcomes and measuresAttitudes of internal and external physicians in terms of target group, content and health literacy.ResultsIn total, 1060 physicians participated in the survey. The DS is considered as a communication tool among ph...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Purpose of review To summarize the recent evidence on the role of vitamin D deficiency in critically ill patients and emerging data claiming a role of vitamin D in COVID-19. Recent findings Vitamin D is a strong predictor for worse... more
Purpose of review To summarize the recent evidence on the role of vitamin D deficiency in critically ill patients and emerging data claiming a role of vitamin D in COVID-19. Recent findings Vitamin D is a strong predictor for worse outcomes in critically ill patients, and as well in COVID-19. The vitamin D content in typical nutrition regimes is lower than what is recommended for the general population. Although its supplementation has been shown to reduce respiratory tract infections, asthma exacerbations and mortality risk in noncritically ill patients, its role in the acute setting is not yet clear. Several small intervention trials have shown interesting results in COVID-19, and larger studies are ongoing. Summary Although research on this topic is still ongoing, it appears reasonable to recommend at least the standard vitamin dose for the healthy population (600--800 IU of native vitamin D3). Many questions remain on the actual role, the best metabolite, regime, and so forth. However, the role for vitamin D in bone health is clear. Elderly ICU survivors have a high risk for osteoporosis/fractures, so at least in this population, an optimal vitamin D status should be targeted.
Research Interests:
Zusammenfassung Hintergrund Angehörige von kritisch Kranken auf der Intensivstation („intensive care unit“, ICU) sind in einer herausfordernden Situation: Sie befinden sich häufig in einer existenziellen Krise mit einer großen emotionalen... more
Zusammenfassung Hintergrund Angehörige von kritisch Kranken auf der Intensivstation („intensive care unit“, ICU) sind in einer herausfordernden Situation: Sie befinden sich häufig in einer existenziellen Krise mit einer großen emotionalen Belastung, gleichzeitig sind sie oftmals aktiv in therapeutische Entscheidungen mit eingebunden. Die Besuchsrestriktionen während der Pandemie aufgrund der Coronaviruserkrankung 2019 (COVID-19) haben viele Rahmenbedingungen für die Angehörigenbegleitung geändert und so die Betreuung von Angehörigen schwieriger gemacht. Ziel Ziel der Publikation ist die Darstellung der aktuellen und neuen Entwicklungen in der Angehörigenbegleitung von kritisch Kranken auf Intensivstationen im Rahmen einer narrativen Übersichtsarbeit. Ergebnisse In den letzten Jahren wurden zahlreiche Maßnahmen und Projekte zur Angehörigenbegleitung entwickelt, die sich den folgenden 6 Bereichen zuordnen lassen: 1) Anwesenheit der Angehörigen, 2) proaktive Einbindung in die Betreuung...
Research Interests:
Hintergrund: Die Entlassung aus dem Krankenhaus kann für PatientInnen ein hohes Risiko darstellen, wenn die Verweildauer immer kürzer wird, die Schnittstelleninformation/-Kommunikation lückenhaft ist und die Gesundheitskompetez der... more
Hintergrund: Die Entlassung aus dem Krankenhaus kann für PatientInnen ein hohes Risiko darstellen, wenn die Verweildauer immer kürzer wird, die Schnittstelleninformation/-Kommunikation lückenhaft ist und die Gesundheitskompetez der betroffenen PatientInnen niedrig ist. Daneben sind[zum vollständigen Text gelangen Sie über die oben angegebene URL]
Research Interests:
Introduction Morbidity and mortality conferences (M&MCs) are an instrument for learning from past complications, unexpected follow-ups and deaths in hospitals and are important for improving patient safety. However, there are currently no... more
Introduction Morbidity and mortality conferences (M&MCs) are an instrument for learning from past complications, unexpected follow-ups and deaths in hospitals and are important for improving patient safety. However, there are currently no quantitative data on the implementation of M&MCs in Austria. The aim of the study was to determine the status quo of the M&MCs in Austria. Materials and methods A national cross-sectional study was conducted by means of a survey of 982 chief physicians of surgical disciplines, internal medicine, anesthesiology, intensive care, gynecology/obstetrics and pediatrics. The questionnaire focused on overall goals, structure and procedures of hospital M&MCs. Results Of the 982 contacted chief physicians, 314 (32.0%) completed the survey. Almost two thirds of the respondents, i.e. 203 (64.7%), had already implemented M&MCs. Of the 111 chief physicians who had not yet introduced M&MCs, 62 (55.9%) were interested in introducing such conferences in the future....
Research Interests:
BackgroundLow health literacy has been associated with poor health outcome and impaired use of healthcare services. The hospital discharge letter represents a key source of medical information for patients and can be used to address the... more
BackgroundLow health literacy has been associated with poor health outcome and impaired use of healthcare services. The hospital discharge letter represents a key source of medical information for patients and can be used to address the problem of low health literacy. The aim of this project was to develop and evaluate a new, patient-directed, version of the discharge letter.MethodsBased upon two conventional discharge letters (CDL; one surgical and one medical letter), two new, patient-friendly discharge letters (PFDL) were designed following 5 key principles: short sentences, few abbreviations, large font size, avoidance of technical terms and no more than 4 pages length. Medical undergraduates were randomized into two blinded groups (CDL, PFDL) and asked to assess the assigned letter for the 3 domains structure, content and patient-friendliness. Subsections were rated on a 6-point Likert scale (1 = completely agree, 6 = completely disagree), the results of the survey were compare...
Research Interests:
Introduction Low health literacy has been associated with poor health outcome and impaired use of healthcare services. The hospital discharge letter represents a key source of medical information for patients and can be used to address... more
Introduction Low health literacy has been associated with poor health outcome and impaired use of healthcare services. The hospital discharge letter represents a key source of medical information for patients and can be used to address the problem of low health literacy. The aim of this project was to develop and evaluate a new, patient-directed, version of the discharge letter.Methods Based upon two conventional discharge letters (CDL; one surgical and one medical letter), two new, patient-friendly discharge letters (PFDL) were designed following 5 key principles: short sentences, few abbreviations, large font size, avoidance of technical terms and no more than 4 pages length. Medical undergraduates were randomized into two blinded groups (CDL, PFDL) and asked to assess the assigned letter for the 3 domains structure, content and patient-friendliness. Subsections were rated on a 6-point Likert scale (1=completely agree, 6=completely disagree), the results of the survey were compare...
Research Interests:
Critically ill patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) have a high risk of developing malnutrition, and this is associated with poorer clinical outcomes. In clinical practice, nutrition, including enteral nutrition (EN), is often not... more
Critically ill patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) have a high risk of developing malnutrition, and this is associated with poorer clinical outcomes. In clinical practice, nutrition, including enteral nutrition (EN), is often not prioritized. Resulting from this, risks and safety issues for patients and healthcare professionals can emerge. The aim of this literature review, inspired by the Rapid Review Guidebook by Dobbins, 2017, was to identify risks and safety issues for patient safety in the management of EN in critically ill patients in the ICU. Three databases were used to identify studies between 2009 and 2020. We assessed 3495 studies for eligibility and included 62 in our narrative synthesis. Several risks and problems were identified: No use of clinical assessment or screening nutrition assessment, inadequate tube management, missing energy target, missing a nutritionist, bad hygiene and handling, wrong time management and speed, nutritional interruptions, wrong body ...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
To analyze speaking up behavior and safety climate with a validated questionnaire for the first time in an Austrian university hospital. Survey amongst healthcare workers (HCW). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics,... more
To analyze speaking up behavior and safety climate with a validated questionnaire for the first time in an Austrian university hospital. Survey amongst healthcare workers (HCW). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Cronbach's alpha was calculated as a measure of internal consistencies of scales. Analysis of variance and t-tests were used. The survey was conducted in 2017. About 2.149 HCW from three departments were asked to participate. To measure speaking up behavior and safety climate. To explore psychological safety, encouraging environment and resignation towards speaking up. About 859 evaluable questionnaires were returned (response rate: 40%). More than 50% of responders perceived specific concerns about patient safety within the last 4 weeks and observed a potential error or noticed rule violations. For the different items, between 16% and 42% of HCW reported that they remained silent though concerns for safety. In contrast, between 96% and 98% answered that t...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Background “Speaking up” is considered an important patient safety behaviour. The main idea is to voice patient safety concerns; however, several studies revealed that the organisational culture can be obstructive. In previous studies, we... more
Background “Speaking up” is considered an important patient safety behaviour. The main idea is to voice patient safety concerns; however, several studies revealed that the organisational culture can be obstructive. In previous studies, we already identified barriers for doctors, nurses and medical students. In the current study, we explore how nursing students use “speaking up” during their internship in an academic teaching hospital. Methods Between 2019 and 2020, 212 nursing students were invited to take part in the survey. The validated Speaking Up about Patient Safety Questionnaire (SUPS-Q) was used to assess speaking up behaviours in nursing students. The SUPS-Q consisted of three behaviour related scales (11 items), three culture related scales (11 items), a question regarding barriers to speak up as well as a clinical vignette assessing a hypothetical speaking up situation. Results In total, 118 nursing students took part in the survey (response rate: 56%). Most of them notic...