HLT313V

HLT-313v Week 3 Topic 3 Discussion 1

Looking ahead to 2020, pick one area of the current National Patient Safety Goals program and make a prediction of what might change in that area based on technological or other advancements. Consider patient identification standards, communication processes, and infection control protocols, among others.

You are required to use and cite a minimum of two references to support your response.

 

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National Patient Safety Goals

Introduction

The goal of the National Patient Safety Goals is to improve the safety of patients in U.S. hospitals and other health care facilities. The goals were set by President Barack Obama in 2011 and have been updated every five years, with the next set due for release in 2020. The patient safety goals are part of a larger national effort to reduce preventable deaths from medical errors, injuries and infections caused by health care professionals and hospital systems alike.

Improve the accuracy of patient identification.

The challenge of identifying patients is that a patient may look similar to another person with similar characteristics. For example, they might have the same name and birthday as someone else. To help prevent this from happening, you can use multiple identifiers such as:

• A unique number or code that identifies each patient individually

• A combination of letters and numbers (like an SSN)

Improve the effectiveness of communication among caregivers.

• Communication is a key component of patient safety.

• To improve communication, it’s important to understand why this is so and how you can make changes in your workflow or environment that will help improve the effectiveness of communication.

• When there’s miscommunication between caregivers, this can result in harm for patients who are treated by their caregivers without being offered appropriate information about their condition or prognosis. If you suspect that this happens regularly within your facility, then you should look at ways to prevent it from happening again (e.g., by adding signage around areas where there may be confusion). If an error has already occurred but isn’t yet fixed, another approach would be finding out just what happened so all involved parties can learn from it and move forward together toward better outcomes for both parties involved—and hopefully avoid future instances where similar problems arise!

Improve the safety of using medications.

As a patient, you are responsible for taking care of yourself and your health. When it comes to medications, there are many things that you can do to keep yourself safe. You will want to make sure that the right medication is being used at the right dose in the right patient by following all of these guidelines:

• Be sure you’re getting exactly what was prescribed by your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider (HCP).

• Check with your HCP before switching medications if possible because sometimes doctors change their mind about which ones work best for different patients based on new research findings or personal experience with those medications themselves; this might mean switching from one type of medication over another without knowing why it works better for them than another similar product previously tried out before making such changes

Enhance the safety of using medical devices.

The use of medical devices is a critical component of patient safety. Medical devices are used to treat patients, and can be dangerous if not used properly. They can be used incorrectly on the wrong patient or body part.

Medical device failures can also cause harm or death when they are used too often or for too long, which is why it’s important that you follow your healthcare provider’s instructions carefully so that you get the most out of your treatment plan—and avoid any complications from using these products

Reduce the risk of health care associated infections.

• Hand washing is the best way to prevent the spread of disease.

• Sterilization kills bacteria, viruses and other microbes that are harmful to patients.

• Gloves must be worn when handling instruments or materials that may transmit microorganisms from one person to another; this includes catheters, intubation tubes and surgical gloves.

• A mask protects against airborne pathogens by filtering out particles before they enter the body through inhalation or contact with mucous membranes on your skin (e.g., during mouth-to-mouth resuscitation). The purpose of wearing an air purifying respirator (e.g., N95) is to prevent it from becoming contaminated with aerosolized droplets containing infectious material which could cause infection in others nearby when it becomes airborne due to leaks in their protective equipment

Reduce the risk of patient harm resulting from falls.

Falls are one of the most common causes of preventable harm to older adults. The risk of falls increases with age, and it’s even higher for patients who have dementia or Parkinson’s disease. Patients who have arthritis may also experience an increased risk of falling due to their physical condition or medications they’re taking.

Detect adverse events related to surgery, especially wrong site, wrong procedure and wrong person surgeries.

You can help prevent medical errors by reporting adverse events that occur during a procedure or emergency. If you are experiencing or witnessing an adverse event, you should immediately report it to your healthcare provider and/or health care facility.

You should also call 911 if:

• You are experiencing a medical emergency (for example, chest pain)

• Your condition has worsened from what was initially reported by your doctor

Accidents are preventable with proper training and preparation for medical professionals and facilities.

When you think about the kind of accidents that can happen in your hospital, it’s easy to feel like accidents are inevitable. But they’re not! Accidents do happen, but they can be prevented with proper training and preparation for medical professionals and facilities.

In particular:

• Proper training is needed for staff members who may be given dangerous tasks;

• Proper equipment should be provided so that patients cannot harm themselves or others;

• Proper facilities (such as a safe room) should be available if an accident occurs

Conclusion

All of these goals are achievable with proper training, communication and education. The key to making them happen is not only knowing how to do each one effectively but also teaming up with others in your area who might not have experience in these areas. This will allow for greater collaboration among healthcare providers on safety initiatives as well as sharing resources such as protocols or best practices for dealing with specific types of situations that can arise during patient care procedures