Dr Anukriti Singh is an RMO, from Mumbai. She did her MBBS from MIMER, Talegaon, Pune. She loves writing, dancing and creating content. She is currently studying for NEET PG.
9th December is chosen as the day to commemorate World Patient Safety Day. On this day, Dr Anukriti Singh shares 7 crucial tips on how healthcare organisations can improve patient safety.
Identify risk areas in
your organisation
The many red flags include:
- Lack of correct and adequate documentation verification and detailed patient history
- The poorly managed crowd in OPD; lack of organization and structure in hospitals
- Lack of cross verification by medical professionals
- Lack of interdepartmental and hospital management communication
- Lack of infrastructure and health equipment
- Lack of enough interaction with patients
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Establish a patient safety organization
Establish a patient safety organization within the hospital campus or work with a Patient Safety Organisation (PSO) to facilitate the institution. Patient Safety Organizations (PSOs) collect and analyze data voluntarily reported by healthcare providers to help improve patient safety and healthcare quality.
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Encourage patients to be responsible
Along with the healthcare organisations, patient safety is also the responsibility of the patients themselves. So, ask patients to be more involved and proactive in their treatment. Encourage patients to give detailed history, correct the staff if they get the details wrong, and ask questions till they feel fully informed about the procedure.
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Support honesty, accountability and teamwork in your staff
Make a safe space for healthcare staff to admit mistakes. Any procedure or surgery to be done must have cross-verification by anaesthetist, nurse and doctor about patient details, the procedure name, the correct location and markings of surgery. During shift changes and hospital transfers, a detailed play by play history of measures taken to stabilise patients must be given, and appropriate documentation should be done.
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Make equipment calibration and maintenance a priority
All equipment testing and maintenance should be done at least once a year. The staff should be adequately trained to handle highly skilled equipment.
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Ensure Infection control
Following correct handwashing is vital for healthcare professionals and visitors. Adequate PPE kits and gloves are essential due to nosocomial and COVID infections. Sanitization checkpoints should be spaced out over wards and before entering OTs and ICU.
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Administer medicines cautiously
Ensure legible prescriptions and give correct names of medicines over trade names to avoid confusion. Double-check dosage with nurses, family and doctors after discharge. Patients should ask doctors about tips on safe opioid use and available non-opioid options. Report drug reactions promptly and correct them.
