{"id":67294,"date":"2024-07-22T16:34:46","date_gmt":"2024-07-22T16:34:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ecoonline.com\/current-challenges-in-us-healthcare-and-their-impact-on-staff-safety\/"},"modified":"2025-10-07T08:47:48","modified_gmt":"2025-10-07T07:47:48","slug":"current-challenges-in-us-healthcare-and-their-impact-on-staff-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ecoonline.com\/en-us\/blog\/current-challenges-in-us-healthcare-and-their-impact-on-staff-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"Current challenges in US healthcare"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t \t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t
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Did you know that hospitals are\u202fone of the most hazardous places to work<\/a>? According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics, healthcare workers are\u202fmore likely to need time off due to an injury or illness<\/a>\u202fthan those working in construction or manufacturing.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of these risks are inherent, such as lifting patients, use of needles, and the potential for slips, trips and falls.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the healthcare sector is also facing societal and political challenges that can impact staff safety. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So what other factors can increase the risk of harm? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under-funding\u202f <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The majority of local health departments\u202fare on the front lines of emergency response<\/a>, but many services are not receiving the funding they need.\u202f<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

65% of local health departments report flat funding or cuts to their overall operations<\/a>, which in turn leads to budget cuts and staff shortages. In fact,\u202f3-in-4 local health departments<\/a>\u202fnow rely on volunteers to keep their services operating.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Increased demand\u202f<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As a nation, we are also\u202fputting increased pressure on our healthcare system<\/a>. Seasonal flu, vaccine-preventable disease, obesity, vaping, STDs, and opioid misuse are just some of the challenges stretching our services. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mental health <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the areas that was impacted most severely as a result of COVID-19, is mental health services. This is a global issue, with\u202fcritical mental health services having been disrupted or halted in 93% of countries worldwide<\/a>. Not only did the pandemic increase the demand for mental health support, it has also left a large backlog of patients in need of treatment, many of which\u202fare presenting at US emergency departments<\/a>.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How is the current landscape impacting staff safety?\u202f <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Underfunding, staff shortages, increased disease burden, and the mental health crisis all have a knock-on effect on staff safety.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Staff under pressure can be more likely to sustain an accidental injury, whilst rising numbers of patients can increase tensions, which can lead to stress, harassment, and violence. In fact,\u00a0violence is becoming such an issue within healthcare (nearly\u202fthree-quarters of all non-fatal\u00a0workplace violence incidents<\/a>\u202fin the US involve healthcare workers) that a\u202fnew Bill has been introduced to the Senate<\/a>\u202fthat directs OSHA to issue a new standard\u00a0that will help prevent violence within health and social care.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Demand for services is also changing how healthcare settings are used, with some\u202fhospital facilities being repurposed<\/a>. When facilities are stretched in this way, healthcare staff can find themselves at risk when caring for patients in environments which may not be properly equipped, or risk-assessed.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like many industries, healthcare also has an increasing number of lone workers. Lone workers \u2013 those who work totally alone, or out of sight or ear-shot of colleagues \u2013 may be at an additional risk of harm, as there is no one to assist in an emergency. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So how can you keep your staff safe? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Risk assessments<\/a>, safety equipment, and training can be put in place\u202fbefore<\/em>\u202fan accident or incident to help prevent it from happening.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what about\u202fduring<\/em>\u202fan incident? Receiving help quickly in an emergency can make all the difference to the outcome.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

EcoOnline\u2019s lone worker app, powered by StaySafe, is a safety solution that is widely used to monitor the safety status of healthcare staff and get them help when they need it most.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\u202fsmartphone app<\/a>\u202facts as a location monitor and panic alarm system. It ensures that any staff member who feels threatened is attacked, or has an accident can signal for help at the touch of a button.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"dc4e4374-9450-4644-af25-240e7db6204f.png\"\/<\/a><\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t <\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Did you know that hospitals are\u202fone of the most hazardous places to work? According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics, healthcare workers are\u202fmore likely to need time off due to an injury or illness\u202fthan those working in construction or manufacturing.\u202f <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":67295,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"category":[66],"tags":[],"item-type":[210],"class_list":["post-67294","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized-en-us","item-type-article-en-us"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nUS Healthcare Safety Crisis | EcoOnline US<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Healthcare workers face more injuries than construction - learn the top risks and modern protection strategies.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ecoonline.com\/en-us\/blog\/current-challenges-in-us-healthcare-and-their-impact-on-staff-safety\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"US Healthcare Safety Crisis | EcoOnline US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Healthcare workers face more injuries than construction - 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