How to Prevent Medication Errors in Healthcare: Evidence-Based Strategies
Medication errors remain one of the leading preventable causes of patient harm in healthcare settings. According to research, approximately 1.5 million Americans are harmed annually by medication errors, costing the healthcare system billions in additional medical care. The good news? Most medication errors are preventable. By implementing evidence-based strategies and fostering a culture of safety, […]
How Clear Medication Communication Boosts HCAHPS Scores and Patient Safety
Updated October 2025 Clear, consistent medication education protects patients and drives HCAHPS “Always” responses—but most hospitals still have a massive gap between what they teach and what patients retain. The disconnect between medication education efforts and what patients actually retain is staggering. Research shows that one-third of patients leave the hospital not knowing why they’re […]
The 8 Most Common Root Causes of Medical Errors
By Anne Carrie, Updated September 19, 2025 Key Updates Since Original Publication While medical errors remain a critical patient safety issue, recent evidence suggests more nuanced estimates. A 2024 analysis indicates medical errors contribute to approximately 22,000-25,000 preventable deaths annually in the U.S., with diagnostic errors causing the most serious harms—affecting an estimated 795,000 Americans […]
A Simple Way to Foster Medication Adherence
Medication non-compliance causes nearly 125,000 deaths in the United States and costs an estimated $290 billion annually. In fact, the number of patients who are non-compliant has reached epidemic proportions and is increasingly considered to be one of the most pressing issues in healthcare today. Research from the National Council for Patient Information and Education suggests […]
An L&D Story: How a Good Patient Experience Could Have Been Great
In March, my wife and I were thrilled to welcome our second child to the world. Our baby boy was born healthy and we could not be more thankful. I did catch myself taking notes, however, as I’ve been working closely with Always Culture and learning about best practices for providing an optimal patient experience. […]
Give Scripting a Chance in Medication Administration
Consistency is the hallmark of a culture focused on safety and quality, but it should also come as no surprise that consistency is one of the most difficult qualities of care to maintain. It is all too easy for organizations to be distracted by a new method or metric in trying to accomplish quality or […]
[PODCAST] Communication on Medications Effects HCAHPS Scores and Patient Safety
Communication with patients on medications is important for both patient experience, HCAHPS scores, AND patient safety. Listen to the podcast to learn tactics for improving communication on medications or checkout the full video and article: Communication on Medications Effects HCAHPS Scores and Patient Safety