HSM542
Week 5: Malpractice, Tort Reform, Institutional Ethics – You Decide The board of directors at Little Falls Hospital has asked me to prepare a risk management plan that will help develop a culture of safety throughout the hospital. This Plan will provide guidelines and methods that will monitor administrative and clinical activities. These monitors will be used to reduce losses associated with employee or visitor injuries, or property loss or damage. The plan will use standards related to the 2010 national Patient Safety Goals. After a recent visit by the Joint Commission, the following issues were identified:
• There is no specific plan on how Little Falls Hospital will address and achieve these goals. This has been handled on a department by department basis.
• Recently, there has been a significant plaintiff settlement paid by the hospital's insurance carrier, which involved a patient death related to the incorrect medication being administered.
• The costs of the hospital's professional liability insurance continue to escalate, and the policy is due to expire in 6 months. Little Falls Hospital has had the same health professional liability insurance policy for 10 years.
• The hospital is facing financial constraints and does not have a significant amount of cash on hand to invest in new technologies.
To address these issues, the risk management plan will provide a way for collaboration among departments with the organization. Key players from multiple departments were asked their thoughts. Taking into consideration their successes and failures, we will adopt a few National Patient Safety Goals set forth by the Joint Commission. Below are the goals that will aid in fixing the issues and most importantly, increase patient care. Goal 1: Identify Patient Correctly
• Use at least two ways to identify patients/residents. For example, use the patient’s/resident’s name and date of birth. This is done to make sure that each patient/resident gets the medicine and treatment meant for them
• Make sure that the correct patient gets the correct blood when they get a blood transfusion: Match the blood or blood component to the order; Match the patient to the blood or blood component; and Use a two-person verification process or a one-person verification process accompanied by automated identification technology, such as bar coding.
Goal 2: Improve Staff Communication
• Get important test results to the right staff person on a timely basis.
Goal 3: Use Medication Safely
• Reduce the likelihood of patient/resident harm associated with the use of anticoagulant therapy.
• Label all medications, medication containers, and other solutions on and off the sterile field in perioperative and other procedural settings. Note: Medication containers include syringes, medicine cups, and basins
• Record and pass along correct information about a patient’s medicines. Find out what medicines the patient is taking. Compare those medicines to new medicines given to the patient. Make sure the patient knows which medicines to take when they are at home. Tell the patient it is important to bring their up-to-date list of medicines every time they visit a doctor.
Goal 9: Prevent Residents From Falling
• Reduce the risk of falls. Goal 15: Identify Patient/Resident Safety Risks
• Identify patients at risk for suicide.
• Identify risks associated with home oxygen therapy such as home fires.

I believe the goals set forth will aid in changing the culture. Communication will become unified and improve leading to better quality or care for patients. And ultimately a safer patient environment.