Challenges concerning sterile processing and antimicrobial stewardship appear on the ECRI Institute's "Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns for Healthcare Organizations 2020" report.

Coming in fifth on the list is "Device Cleaning, Disinfection and Sterilization." In an executive brief, ECRI states that sterile processing failures can lead to surgical site infections (SSIs). Furthermore, "Incidents involving improperly reprocessed instruments can potentially result in devastating effects on patients, damage to organizational and provider reputations, citations and fines from regulatory bodies, prompt review by accrediting agencies and lawsuits."

Coming in eighth is "Antimicrobial Stewardship," which also appeared on last year's list (as "Antimicrobial Stewardship in Physician Practices and Aging Services"). In the brief, ECRI notes, "Despite the increased focus on the importance of antimicrobial stewardship in healthcare, and increased recognition among healthcare workers and patients alike, antibiotics are still being prescribed unnecessarily, when no longer needed, in the wrong dose and with the wrong indication—any of which can increase antimicrobial resistance. Many of these antibiotics are being prescribed in care settings such as long-term care organizations, urgent care centers and dentist offices."

ECRI states that it creates the annual list of patient safety concerns to help healthcare organizations proactively identify and respond to safety threats. The list is compiled using data on patient safety events and concerns and on the "judgment of interdisciplinary patient safety experts from inside and outside ECRI."

The top patient safety concern for 2020 is "Missed and Delayed Diagnoses." Rounding out the top three are "Maternal Health Across the Continuum" and "Early Recognition of Behavioral Health Needs."