Risk Management in Health Care - Research Paper Example

Lecturer: October 15, Introduction Risk management in clinical health care deals with clinical and administrative activities that concerned parties undertake to recognize, evaluate and decrease the danger of damage to patients, employees and guests as well a risk of losing the organization itself. Risk management in the healthcare sector puts into consideration the patient safety, rights as well quality assurance to make this process succeed. The potential for risk permeates all aspects of healthcare such as medical mistakes, keeping of electronic record, facility management and provider organizations. Examples of adverse instances in healthcare are failure to diagnose or treat a disease, unexpected death, surgical error or accidents (Robert, 2009). In order to avoid risks, doctors and nurses must identify and measure a potential cause for adverse outcomes. They then design and implement plans in order to avoid or minimize loss and damage. This research paper is about measures that hospitals must take to manage risks in the healthcare sector. Ways that administrators use to manage risk in the healthcare sector The use of Module Risk manager The managers establish this model to increase security and privacy of a patient while undergoing treatment. For this system to be successful, the IT department of healthcare must develop and implement a cost-effective company safety programs that conform to other appropriate regulations. This module provides detailed recommendations on how to deal with detected risks or gaps within the scope that the organization defines (Olaf and Wolfgang, 2009). This module maps frameworks that the use HIPAA accepts managing of risks in the healthcare sector and thus develops technical and management reports. According to Bill, et al. (2007), Annica Ohrn a healthcare pioneer came up with strategies to enhance risk management in Sweden. Under her administration, she emphasized that patients get the required safety in order to minimize risks. With root analysis, they started to understand the similarities between management of risks and data they got from other analysis. They sparked real actions by documenting adverse happenings instead of assuming why things happened. The administration came up with a mechanism that makes it harder for workers to commit errors as compared to the older one that was inefficient. Bill, et al (2007) cites that according to Annica Ohrn, they have brainwashed their workers to be aware of patient safety and hence make appropriate reports with regard to patient situations. They continually ask the managers to provide with them risk analysis reports to know where to make improvements. After getting reports, the management engages itself actively in the investigation process to find out the occurrence of registered instances. The workers have to be accountable for their actions while attending on patients with the sole purpose of guaranteeing their safety and improving the quality of healthcare. Barbara (2011) states that Quality in Australian Healthcare study that researchers carried out in 1995 and the most recent publication of “TO ERR IS HUMAN” carried out by the Institute of Medicine in the United States aim at building a safer healthcare system. Further, the Controls Assurance project within the NHS in the United Kingdom and a change in emphasis of some accreditation programs in the US have enabled the interest rate in risk management to improve (Stuart and Charles, 2008). Consultation and communication are essential factors to enhance risk management in the healthcare sector. The healthcare needs to develop appropriate communication strategies that involve both external and internal participants at every stage of clinical risk management process. The strategies include clear identification of objective communication, communication terms, individuals to involve as well as development of communication strategies to use in the process of managing risks (Raja, 2011). When there is no proper communication consultation process, concerned parties will not understand why the management developed and implemented clinical management strategies. Define the organizational and environmental parameters within which the clinical and process of management should take place, the purpose of risk activity and potential consequences that come because of external and internal pressures. The hospital must establish goals, objectives, level and parameters of the activity that they have to apply. This process must put into consideration the need to balance cost, benefits and opportunities (Olaf and Wolfgang, 2009). The administration must specify required resources and keep records of the same. While setting the scope and depth of clinical risk management program, managers must put into consideration whether the clinical risk management process is to cover service-wide issues or limited to a particular clinical practice area. The hospital should have a documented plan for management of risks that include but not limited to the following accreditation mandatory requirements. They include staff negligence, malpractice, credit withdrawals from external financiers, and major equipment failure among others (Barbara, 2011). To manage a risk in the hospital, those responsible must comprehensively identify a risk by use of a well-structured systematic process. This is critical because if they do not identify a potential risk at this stage, then they exclude it from further analysis and treatment (Stuart and Charles, 2008). They must identify if a risk is under the control of an organization or not to enable them put proper strategies in place to curb the situation. Further, there is risk analysis that includes determining existing controls by identifying existing management, technical methods, and procedures to control risk and assess their strength and weaknesses. The hospitals must have strategies in place to manage all aspects of health and safety. They include preparing a written statement of their health and safety policy. According to Robert (2009), all healthcare providers must indicate that they are ready to provide and maintain a safe and health-working environment. This aims at enlisting the support of workers to realize the objective of an organization. To achieve these objectives, the management team must ensure that various management lines get specific functions of managing risks in the healthcare sector. Conclusion In conclusion, to enhance risk management in the healthcare sector, the administration of a hospital must come up with rules and regulations that enhance all responsibility. Occasionally, a plan to prevent risk can cause new risks. For instance, the introduction of electronic medical records (EMRs) makes doctors to access information that regards the prescriptions and medical histories of a patient. At the same time, this can invade privacy of a patient or make physicians and nurses depend too much on technology instead of tailoring diagnosis and treatment. Violating of privacy and diagnostic or mistakes in treatment can cause litigation. It is important for healthcare providers to recognize risks at early stages in order to prevent serious consequences. References: Barbara, Y., (2011): Principles of risk management and patient safety: Jones and Bartlett publishers. Bill, R., et al, (2007): safety and ethics in healthcare: a guide to getting it right: Ashgate publishing Ltd. Olaf, D. and Wolfgang, C., (2009): World congress on Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering: Springer publisher: volume 25 Page 449 Raja, K., (2011): Managing technology risks in the healthcare sector: Disaster recovery and business continuity planning: Emerald Group Publishing limited Robert, C., (2009): Risk Management Handbook for Healthcare organizations: John Willey and Sons Publisher. Stuart, E. and Charles, H., (2008): Issues in Health Risk Management: Lulu.com Publisher. Read More