Risks to the staff, patients, and the institution are prevalent in healthcare. Organizations have different risk management programs aimed at safeguarding the institution and the patients. Patient safety and risk management program is some of the common risk management programs that I have encountered in healthcare institutions.
The patient safety and risk management program at my workplace provides the staff with the right tools and information necessary for handling patients. In my workplace, the management requests patients and third parties to fill out response forms stating their level of satisfaction with the services offered at the health facility. The team then analyses the information provided in the forms and rectifies the issues mentioned. The approach has enabled the institution to offer better health care to its clients as compared to the rest of the facilities within the same locality.
Further, the program guarantees the safety of patients by providing clear guidelines to both the staff and the patients. Patient safety and risk management program allows patients and practitioners to communicate openly, thus making it easy to deal with problems once they occur.
According to Kavaler & Alexander, the program ensures that health care providers are up to date with current affairs relating to health through education and counseling programs. Additionally, the health care facility conducts competency tests on its staff occasionally to ensure that they are up to the task. In terms of maintenance, the program ensures that all the facilities used by the patients, such as beds, bathtubs, and toilets are well fixed to avoid minor injuries. In my organization, the institution has established its maintenance department that oversees the repair of broken and loose items for the safety of the patients.