Preventable errors are estimated to cost the U.S. healthcare system approximately $187.5 billion to $250 billion annually. (1) Effective Patient Safety programs can improve patient outcomes, reduce costs, and decrease preventable errors all at the same time. In recent years, healthcare organizations have begun placing focus on reforming organizational culture in order to maximize patient safety.

With rapidly evolving patient needs, growing regulatory requirements, and new technological advances, it is now increasingly important for quality and risk management teams to adopt a collective and integrated approach towards patient care.  As Quality and Risk Management teams face new and unique challenges that impact patient care and experience, a collaborative relationship between both departments is key for supporting patient safety and the overall operations of any healthcare organization. (1)

The Center for Disease Control estimates that on any given day, 1 in 31 hospital patients has a HAI, or healthcare-associated infection. (1) Up to 70 percent of these infections could be prevented if health care workers followed recommended protocols, including hand hygiene. (2)

Preventable incidents are a challenge that healthcare organizations face on a daily basis. In order to achieve the highest possible level of patient safety and quality care, it is important for organizations to find an incident reporting system that encourages reporting and fits their unique needs.

With roughly 86% of patient safety events going unreported due to fear of blame or retaliation, looking for an incident reporting software that allows for anonymous reporting can help organizations place the focus back on patient safety. (1)

Safety huddles are a key tool for healthcare organizations to reduce patient harm, ensure accurate, consistent communication between staff, and promote patient and employee safety. Safety huddles can be defined as routine, brief meetings, usually at the beginning of the workday, comprised of staff from varying disciplines. (1)

The meeting is a time for care teams to discuss patient safety events, relay information about areas of safety concern such as short staffing, equipment or inventory, and to establish safety goals. (2)

Trudi Stafford, PhD, RN, and Clinical Advisor at PHP shares insight on developing processes and tools for effective root cause analysis. 

Trudi Stafford has 30+ years of health care leadership experience with an emphasis on informatics to positively impact patient safety and health care quality. She is a doctorally prepared nurse executive with prior work experience as the Chief Nursing Office at three of the nation’s largest health systems.

Patient safety remains a top goal of healthcare organizations, and with the right tools, it’s possible to achieve. Here’s the story of how one healthcare organization achieved success.

Trudi Stafford, PhD, RN, and Clinical Advisor at PHP shares insight on developing a just patient safety culture. 

Trudi Stafford has 30+ years of health care leadership experience with an emphasis on informatics to positively impact patient safety and health care quality. She is a doctorally prepared nurse executive with prior work experience as the Chief Nursing Office at three of the nation’s largest health systems.