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Risk assessments is part of the patient safety formula

Credentialing Resource Center Connection, March 13, 2008

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Anne Roberts, CPMSM, CPCS, is the director of medical affairs at Children's Medical Center in Dallas, where she oversees the medical administration, graduate medical education, and medical staff services departments.

Dear credentialing colleague:

Last week, healthcare organizations across the nation recognized and celebrated National Patient Safety Week (NPSW). During this time, organizations highlight the work they do to improve and support safe, quality patient care. NPSW's top areas of focus include:

• Enhancing teamwork
• Improving communication
• Developing a culture of safety

Risk assessment is a large part of patient safety. When healthcare organizations objectively conduct a risk assessment (sometimes referred to as a root-cause analysis [RCA]) they focus on a specific event to determine what led to it and what processes or procedures may need improvement. It is beneficial for organizations to conduct a risk assessment because it allows them to evaluate practices in a structured process and effectively manage risk.

There is no single way to conduct a risk assessment. Regardless of the process the user chooses, it is critical to document the process and include a mechanism to confirm that the conclusion is the "right" conclusion.

The Joint Commission (formerly JCAHO) recently published an article (available at www.jcrinc.com/29498/) that outlined the organization's seven-step risk assessment.

Joint Commission-accredited healthcare organizations that conduct risk assessments can apply these seven steps to meet their specific needs. These assessments are another way all of us in the healthcare industry can work toward our ultimate goal: providing safe, quality patient care.
 
Remember, clear, effective communication is the key to success!

That's all for this week.

All the best,

Anne Roberts, CPMSM, CPCS

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