Essay on "Risk Management Applications in Hospitals"

Essay 4 pages (1322 words) Sources: 4

[EXCERPT] . . . .

In identifying and minimizing such risks certain interventions besides a reporting system should also be introduced; these interventions are based on questionnaires filled by a focus group resulting in a manual of knowledge, education sessions, addressing individual concerns and recognition given to those who suggest improvements and participate well in such sessions. (Baram, 2000)

Risk can also be mitigated by using computerized physician order entry instead of hand written entries and prescriptions, adopting bar-code technology and a clinical decision support system provided to doctors can also reduce the risk of unsafe prescriptions. Organization wide safety programs for controlling adverse drug effects, smart pump technology for controlling drug amount and combination before infusion can begin and structured order sheet for preventing medication errors.

In the subject hospital three risks identified were;

1. Medication error, in this instance it was observed that doctors were prescribing drugs to patients by using their own handwritings which can lead to a severe effect. It is said that missing a single decimal point in writing a prescription can result in life-threatening situations an allergic reaction or an adverse effect of multiple drugs can result in medication error and danger to the patient.

2. Another risk identified was related to overall hygiene and cleanliness of the hospital. Hospitals are loaded with bugs themselves, it is becoming common that patients or families going to the hospital pickup various diseases. According to CDC (center for disease control) it was reported that 1.7 million healthcare associated infections occur every year; 22% are by surgical wounds others include infections to urinary tract, lungs and blood diseases that are acquired from the hospital. It is vital to maintain a clean and safe environment for the patients and families as well as maintaining individual hygiene of doctors and nurses. (Wallace, 2009)

3. It was also observed that the patients checking in to the hospital were passive in sharing their medical history or the drug they were using, in such a situation it is the duty of the doctor to assert and provide comfort to the patient and know the history before giving prescription. Patients tend to feel intimidated by the hospital they are also concerned with their own conditions and are emotionally vulnerable. In such situations a patient should always remember that it's their own life at risk and hence should ask questions and respond to the queries of the doctor. It is also the duty of the doctor to initiate a conversation in a manner where patient feels easy and can respond to general queries from the doctor, using medical jargons by doctors is not ideal in such circumstances.

In mitigating risks hospitals can adopt best practices prevailing in the healthcare industry, consider suggestions from the staff and patients, compile policies / quality standard manuals and code of conduct for its staff. It is vital to educate and train the medical staff and sometimes the patients as well. In providing education and training, it should be made compulsory that every new employee and each interning batch should take a course on safety, hygiene and patient management. Effective communication and management is very important for the medical staff, in this relation hospitals should learn from the corporate business culture and organize trainings on interpersonal and people management skills. Every task should be given importance and hence the staff responsible for maintaining cleanliness and hygiene of the hospital should also be trained and monitored effectively by supervisors and continuous / periodic cleaning activities are recommended.

References

Allnutt, M.F. (1987). Human factors in accidents. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 59:856 -- 864.

Baram, M. (2000). "Medical Error And Responsibility In Managed Healthcare," Safety In Medicine, pp. 231-245

Duckers et al. (2009). Safety and risk management in hospitals. Retrieved 3rd September, 2012 from http://www.health.org.uk/public/cms/75/76/313/578/Safety%20and%20risk%20management%20in%20hospitals.pdf?realName=a1pE7U.pdf

Wallace L. et al. (2009). "Feedback from incident reporting: Information and action to improve patient safety," Quality and Safety in Healthcare, 18, pp 11 -- 21.

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