Question

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS), and The Joint Commission (TJC) require that health care organizations maintain risk management programs to address infection control. Detail three measures that your health care organization (or any health care organization) needs to address in the delivery of safe health care services. (Example: Placing hand washing devices at all of the public entrances of the health care facility). Support your response with a minimum of two peer-reviewed references.

Answer 1

Risk management program is implemented in order to reduce the number of possible injuries caused to the patient during the treatment of the patient and thus helps in decreasing the exposure of the organization to the malpractice lawsuits. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act 1996 is an act which was designed in the US for providing the privacy of data and security for information related to medical information. Basically, all companies dealing with medical and health data of patients should adhere to the compliance policies of HIPAA and should be help guilty if there is any mismatch or leakage of information provided. An effective risk management system consists of monitoring that aims at identifying the potential risks to patients as well as staff. Information is gathered from various sources and then is used to improve the treatment of the patient.

Risk management process: It has a set criterion to look into, have to be specific and in detail with a solution, this process will help them to go through a series of issues and to come out with a solution that is not just temporary but also to prevent it further from happening.

1. Identify the risk

2. Analyze the risk

3. Evaluate or Rank the risk

4. Treat the risk

5. Monitor and Review the risk

The following are the risk management practices for an ambulatory care setting, which are required to deliver safe health care services:

Review of patient’s office records periodically

Maintaining confidentiality of patient information

Charting the patient’s data accurately and completely and updating the data as needed

Using appropriate abbreviations, the record must be easy to understand and legible

The documentation must be signed by a physician in a timely manner

Maintaining documented evidence to show appropriate discharge, details of follow-up (if required) and continuing care instructions.

References:

Bradshaw, K. M. (1997). Fraud & abuse: DOJ and Medicare and Medicaid model compliance programs. Journal Of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 25(2/3), 218.

CMS Strengthens Efforts to Fight Medicare Waste, Fraud and Abuse. (2009). O&P Business News, 18(5), 63-64.