Addressing Patient Safety Error - Paper Example

Patient safety involves measures and actions used to avoid unexpected errors. Hospitals and other healthcare organizations have a responsibility of protecting their patients from errors and other unintended encounters such as injuries and infections. Addressing patient safety error includes reporting and disclosure as well as ethical implications concerning reporting and disclosure of errors. It becomes challenging to disclose and discuss errors with patients they expect quality services and they get embarrassed after receiving the bad news. Concerning the ethical implications following medical errors, principles such as nonmaleficence (do no harm) and beneficence (doing good) are applied to control reporting and disclosure (Hughes, United States & Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2008). Healthcare professionals address patient safety errors through assessing the causes, sharing the information, and preventing further harm to patients. The approach above involves relationship building through truth-telling. The importance of addressing errors is to avoid further complications and to put up measures that will prevent future mistakes. As a patient safety officer, this discussion will address a medication error by analyzing the best practice, tools, and techniques to reduce the error and the roles of a safety officer.

Concerning the medication error, the best practice technique to reduce the threat is by applying an error-reporting mechanism. The mechanism is based on the Medication Errors Reporting (MER) Program. The MER program is effective in receiving reports Error-reporting can utilize both verbal and paper-based reports for detecting and documenting the clinical error (Hughes, United States & Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2008). The report reflects the ability to identify the error as well as the willingness to report it both formally and documentation in patients records. As a safety officer, it is essential to include an internal reporting with an audit that will include keeping internal records that are available for safety evaluation and onsite inspection. Inspection is carried by agencies to establish the level of patient safety such as Joint Commissions National Safety Goals. The role of the regulatory agency concerning patient safety is to accredit and certify healthcare organization. The accreditation and certification process by this agency ensures there is quality and that the organization commits to meet the required quality standards. Application of the Joint Commission goals in addressing medical errors will improve the services in providing safe and standard care (Jointcommission.org, 2018).

From the error-reporting mechanism, medication errors are the most recurring that possess a potential threat to the patients. This error should be addressed immediately by implementing evidence-based practices that focus on quality services as well as patient safety. The negative implication may arise if the errors are not addressed. Some of the impacts include adverse events that affect the quality and cost of the health services. Additionally, the errors also affect the health professionals especially their emotional wellbeing. The guilt of committing the errors affects their quality of life as well as professional practice and conduct thus demanding support and counseling intervention to prevent additional instances of errors. As part of addressing patient safety errors, professional victims are also considered toward eliminating the chances of more errors.

Patient safety officer (PSO) can impact the effective application of patient safety plan through the application of leadership strategies. For instance, through the use of Continuous Medical Education (CME), the professionals can identify the possible causes of errors and how to eliminate them. Another role of patient safety officer in the implementation of the patient safety plan is through the effective application of the standard operating procedure. The safety officer has a responsibility of ensuring the availability of standard operating procedures to guide the clinicians in carrying their procedures. The role of a PSO is purposing to achieving a goal of a culture of safety as well as fulfilling regulatory and accreditation standards. A culture of safety can be described as the pattern of individual and organizational behavior that focuses on reducing the likeliness of patient harm concerning the care delivery (Hendee, 2001).

Concerning the medication error scenario, the role of a PSO is to identify, document, and address the impact of the error for both the patient and the clinician. Additionally, the PSO has a responsibility of ensuring there are enough measures to curb future errors. From the error-reporting mechanism, a medication error is the most reoccurring and therefore the officer must implement change. Implementation of change concerning medication errors from a literature review perspective involves the use of quality indicators. Monitoring chart is a useful tool for avoiding medication error because it is flexible for documentation and easier to use. According to Smeulers et al., (2015), Quality Indicators (QIs) can be used for safe medication. The QIs for safe medication focus on preparation and administration thus minimizing chances of errors. Regarding the application of operational considerations and best practices to identify and work toward curbing particular safety errors, the best approach is the implementation of evidence-based practices (EBP). EBPs have been applied in different hospitals where quality services are available. Patient safety is a priority and therefore eliminating errors is an essential achievement towards operating according to the standards provided by regulatory agencies.

In conclusion, medical errors contribute to further complications and additional cost. Some errors are deadly and therefore it is serious issues concerning patient safety. People seeking for health services are so embarrassed when they are a victim of medication error. Again, it can be termed as malpractice thus leading to a lawsuit. Practicing the safety culture is a better approach and should be embraced by all patient safety officers.

References

Hendee, W. R. (2001). To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System. Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology: Supplement, 12, 1.

Hughes, R., United States & Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. (2008). Patient safety and quality: An evidence-based handbook for nurses. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Jointcommission.org. (2018). Available at: https://www.jointcommission.org/about_us/about_the_joint_commission_main.aspx [Accessed 20 Jan. 2018].

Smeulers, M., Verweij, L., Vermeulen, H., Maaskant, J. M., Maaskant, J. M., De, B. M., Krediet, C. T. P., Vermeulen, H. ( 2015). Quality Indicators for safe medication preparation and administration: A systematic review. Plos One, 10, 4.