Patient Safety And Risk Management In Medicine

Implementing safety practices in healthcare saves lives and improves the quality of care: it is therefore vital to apply good clinical practices, such as the WHO surgical checklist, to adopt the most appropriate measures for the prevention of assistance-related risks, and to identify the potential ones using tools such as reporting & learning systems. The culture of safety in the care environment and of human factors influencing it should be developed from the beginning of medical studies and in the first years of professional practice, in order to have the maximum impact on clinicians' and nurses' behavior. Medical errors tend to vary with the level of proficiency and experience, and this must be taken into account in adverse events prevention. Human factors assume a decisive importance in resilient organizations, and an understanding of risk control and containment is fundamental for all medical and surgical specialties. This open access book offers recommendations and examples of how to improve patient safety by changing practices, introducing organizational and technological innovations, and creating effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable care systems, in order to spread the quality and patient safety culture among the new generation of healthcare professionals, and is intended for residents and young professionals in different clinical specialties.

This book identifies changes in the industry and describes how these changes have influenced the functions of risk management in all aspects of healthcare. The book is divided into four sections. The first section describes the current state of the healthcare industry and looks at the importance of risk management and the emergence of patient safety. It also explores the importance of working with other sectors of the health care industry such as the pharmaceutical and device manufacturers. The last three sections focus on the three main components of the risk managers responsibility: claims management, risk financing and proactive loss control. The final section touches on solutions for seamless integration between risk management and patient safety functions. Using an integrative approach this book offers a comprehensive review of the current issues which formulate the basis of a risk management program and provide the knowledge that a risk manager would be expected to have.

The aim of this book is to reduce the risks of medical treatment and enhance the safety of patients in all areas of healthcare. The first section discusses human error, the incidence of harm to patients, and the development or risk management. Chapters in the second section discuss the reduction of risk in clinical practice in key medical specialties. The third section discusses features of the healthcare systems that are essential to safe practice, such as communication of risk to patients, the design of equipment, supervision and training, and effective teamwork. The fourth section describes how to put risk management into practice, including the effective and sensitive handling of complaints and claims, the care of injured patients and the staff involved, and the reporting, investigation and analysis of serious incidents.

Medical errors can have serious consequences, often resulting in harm to patients or even death. In the last decades the issue of the 2nd victim was raised, emphasizing the impact of being involved in an adverse event on the caregivers. In 1999, the American Institute of Medicine (IOM) declared that rather than assigning blame for these errors, investigations should be carried out to identify what caused them and prevent similar events from occurring in the future focusing on systemic factors. It is estimated that in the US alone, there are between 250,000 to 400,000 preventable deaths annually due to medical treatment failures, costing over 15 billion dollars per year. In response to this pressing issue, a team of medical professionals has created a comprehensive textbook on the subject of safety and risk management in medicine. This book covers a range of topics, including basic principles and concepts, the scope of iatrogenic harm, the development of risk management in medicine, and the organizational safety culture. Emphasis is placed on the human and organizational factors that contribute to medical errors, as well as the legal and insurance aspects of healthcare. The book is based on extensive practical experience in promoting patient safety in medical organizations. In addition, the book includes a large chapter on risk management during epidemics, which has become increasingly relevant in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This textbook is a must-read for anyone involved in patient care, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, managers, psychologists, occupational therapists, and physiotherapists. By promoting a culture of safety and risk management, we can work towards reducing the number of preventable medical errors and improving patient outcomes.

Clinical Governance is integral to healthcare and all doctors must have an understanding of both basic principles, and how to apply them in daily practice. Within the Clinical Governance framework, patient safety is the top priority for all healthcare organisations, with the prevention of avoidable harm a key goal. Traditionally medical training has concentrated on the acquisition of knowledge and skills related to diagnostic intervention and therapeutic procedures. The need to focus on non-technical aspects of clinical practice, including communication and team working, is now evident; ensuring tomorrow's staff are competent to function effectively in any healthcare facility. This book provides a guide to how healthcare systems work; their structure, regulation and inspection, and key areas including risk management, resource effectiveness and wider aspects of knowledge management. Changing curricula at undergraduate level reflect this, but post-graduate training is lagging behind and does not always equip trainees appropriately for a hectic clinical environment. An Introduction to Clinical Governance and Patient Safety presents a simple overview of clinical governance in context, highlighting important principles required to function effectively in a pressurised healthcare environment. It is presented in short sections based on the original seven pillars of clinical governance. These have been expanded to include the fundamental principles of systems, team working, leadership, accountability, and ownership in healthcare, with examples from everyday practice. This format is designed to facilitate use as a 'pocket guide' which can be dipped into during the working day, as well as for general reading. Examples from all branches of medicine are presented to facilitate understanding. Contributors are taken from a broad base - from junior doctors to internationally recognised experts - ensuring issues are addressed from all perspectives.

When you are ready to implement measures to improve patient safety, this is the book to consult. Charles Vincent, one of the world's pioneers in patient safety, discusses each and every aspect clearly and compellingly. He reviews the evidence of risks and harms to patients, and he provides practical guidance on implementing safer practices in health care. The second edition puts greater emphasis on this practical side. Examples of team based initiatives show how patient safety can be improved by changing practices, both cultural and technological, throughout whole organisations. Not only does this benefit patients; it also impacts positively on health care delivery, with consequent savings in the economy. Patient Safety has been praised as a gateway to understanding the subject. This second edition is more than that – it is a revelation of the pervading influence of health care errors, and a guide to how these can be overcome. "... The beauty of this book is that it describes the complexity of patient safety in a simple coherent way and captures the breadth of issues that encompass this fascinating field. The author provides numerous ways in which the reader can take this subject further with links to the international world of patient safety and evidence based research... One of the most difficult aspects of patient safety is that of implementation of safer practices and sustained change. Charles Vincent, through this book, provides all who read it clear examples to help with these challenges" From a review in Hospital Medicine by Dr Suzette Woodward, Director of Patient Safety. Access 'Essentials of Patient Safety – Free Online Introduction': www.wiley.com/go/vincent/patientsafety/essentials

Contains four sections that include, theoretical perspectives on managing patient safety, top management perspectives on patient safety, health information technology perspectives on patient safety, and organizational behavior and change perspectives on patient safety.