A Review of Risk Matrices Used in Acute Hospitals in England.

In healthcare, patient safety has received substantial attention and, in turn, a number of approaches to managing safety have been adopted from other high-risk industries. One of these has been risk assessment, predominantly through the use of risk matrices. However, while other industries have criticized the design and use of these risk matrices, the applicability of such criticism has not been investigated formally in healthcare. This study examines risk matrices as used in acute hospitals in England and the guidance provided for their use. It investigates the applicability of criticisms of risk matrices from outside healthcare through a document analysis of the risk assessment policies, procedures, and strategies used in English hospitals. The findings reveal that there is a large variety of risk matrices used, where the design of some might increase the chance of risk misprioritization. Additionally, findings show that hospitals may provide insufficient guidance on how to use risk matrices as well as what to do in response to the existing criticisms of risk matrices. Consequently, this is likely to lead to variation in the quality of risk assessment and in the subsequent deployment of resources to manage the assessed risk. Finally, the article outlines ways in which hospitals could use risk matrices more effectively

Suggested Improvements for the Allergenicity Assessment of Genetically Modified Plants Used in Foods

Genetically modified (GM) plants are increasingly used for food production and industrial applications. As the global population has surpassed 7 billion and per capita consumption rises, food production is challenged by loss of arable land, changing weather patterns, and evolving plant pests and disease. Previous gains in quantity and quality relied on natural or artificial breeding, random mutagenesis, increased pesticide and fertilizer use, and improved farming techniques, all without a formal safety evaluation. However, the direct introduction of novel genes raised questions regarding safety that are being addressed by an evaluation process that considers potential increases in the allergenicity, toxicity, and nutrient availability of foods derived from the GM plants. Opinions vary regarding the adequacy of the assessment, but there is no documented proof of an adverse effect resulting from foods produced from GM plants. This review and opinion discusses current practices and new regulatory demands related to food safety

Trust and regulatory organisations: The role of local knowledge and facework in research ethics review

While trust is seen as central to most social relations, most writers, including sociologists of science, assume that modern trust relations – especially those in regulatory relationships – tend towards the impersonal. Drawing on ethnographic material from one kind of scientific oversight body – research ethics committees based in the UK NHS – this paper argues that interpersonal trust is crucial to regulatory decision-making and intimately bound up with the way in which these oversight bodies work, and that as such they build on, rather than challenge, the trust-based nature of the scientific community

**June 2023-Printed Issue**

The summer 2023 issue of _Patient Safety_ is available to read online and download at no charge. This issue features two in-depth data analyses from the largest event reporting database of its kind in the United States, which reveal [patient safety trends in serious events and incidents](https://patientsafetyj.com/article/74752-patient-safety-trends-in-2022-an-analysis-of-256-679-serious-events-and-incidents-from-the-nation-s-largest-event-reporting-database) and [offer insights on healthcare-associated infections](https://patientsafetyj.com/article/74494-long-term-care-healthcare-associated-infections-in-2022-an-analysis-of-20-216-reports) in Pennsylvania last year. We also share some recent healthcare success stories in recognition of the winners of the 2023 I AM Patient Safety awards. Additional highlights include • A [safety alert about methylprednisolone](https://patientsafetyj.com/article/77633-patient-safety-alert-methylprednisolone-and-patients-with-hypersensitivity-to-cow-s-milk-components), a medication that sometimes contains lactose monohydrate, and its risk of anaphylaxis, a life-threating allergic reaction, to patients with a cow’s milk allergy. • An expert on artificial intelligence discusses [what AI can and can’t do in healthcare](https://patientsafetyj.com/article/77632-artificially-intelligent-machine-learning-in-healthcare-and-why-it-may-not-be-as-advanced-as-you-think), now and in the future. • Human factors researchers review [best practices from high-risk industries](https://patientsafetyj.com/article/77769-informing-visual-display-design-of-electronic-health-records-a-human-factors-cross-industry-perspective) that may inform visual display design of electronic health records. • How [an evidence-based teaching plan](https://patientsafetyj.com/article/77630-evidence-based-teaching-plan-test-and-evaluation-on-caring-for-healthcare-provider-second-victims) might raise awareness of the effect that significant patient and employee crises have on the staff who witness such events. • A study explores the feasibility of [monitoring patients’ vital signs](https://patientsafetyj.com/article/77776-continuous-monitoring-of-vital-signs-after-hospital-discharge-a-feasibility-study) at home. _Patient Safety_ is fully open access (no fees for authors or readers). We welcome manuscripts from all over the world. If your work can help advance patient safety, please [submit it to us for consideration](https://patientsafetyj.com/for-authors), and kindly share our journal with friends, family, colleagues, and caregivers

Special Issue: Pharmacy Education and Practice -Print Issue

In celebration of National Pharmacist Day, recognizing the importance of pharmacists and their crucial role in our health and well-being, today we are publishing a special issue of _Patient Safety_ dedicated to pharmacy education and practice. Our January 2022 issue is now available to read and download at no charge at PatientSafetyJ.com. It features timely manuscripts from pharmacy students, practitioners, educators, and experts: data articles, focused reviews, interviews, and perspectives and insights about advances and challenges in the field now and in the near future. • Michael Cohen, founder and president of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, discusses [the importance of sharing information](https://patientsafetyj.com/article/73489) • [A close look at antibiotic stewardship](https://patientsafetyj.com/article/73492)in a community hospital emergency department • Daniel Degnan shares [how to develop good habits](https://patientsafetyj.com/article/73491) to better your life and work practices • Learn how a hospital and pharmacy school [collaborated to instill appreciation of safety culture](https://patientsafetyj.com/article/73490) in students • Children and babies are uniquely vulnerable to medication errors in the hospital—but [there are ways to keep them safe](https://patientsafetyj.com/article/73493) • Patrick McDonnell describes [the challenges and rewards of being an academic pharmacist](https://patientsafetyj.com/article/73495) • [Strategies for reducing immunization-related stress and anxiety](https://patientsafetyj.com/article/73494) that can improve safety and combat vaccine hesitancy Thank you to our authors, peer reviewers, editorial board members, and Patient Safety Authority staff for making _Patient Safety_ possible—and special appreciation to this issue’s guest editors: Michael Cohen, ScD (hon.), DPS (hon.), RPh; Daniel Degnan, PharmD; and Patrick McDonnell, PharmD. _Patient Safety_ is fully open access (no fees for authors or readers) and published on a rolling basis throughout the year. We welcome manuscripts from all over the world. If your work can help advance patient safety, please [submit it to us for consideration](https://patientsafetyj.com/for-authors), and kindly share our journal with friends, family, colleagues, and caregivers. [Subscribe to our journal email list](https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/otqI5QB/journalupdates) to be updated on new articles as they are published online