As an administrator, patient safety is a top priority — and you no doubt are on top of as many established health risk elements as you can be.
Research has shown that little-known environmental risks can be surprisingly detrimental to patients' welfare, however. How can you cut these potential hazards before they become bigger problems?
Use the following science-driven info to recognize and reduce risk:
Recruit an MD as your next organizational head.
A study found that hospitals run more safely when a physician is at the helm, rather than a manager with business acumen only. In doing a candidate search, look for a physician who won't be afraid to put patient safety ahead of profits, and openly tells you so. That's going to be the person you won't regret selecting in the long run.
If your hospital head is an administrator and doing a great job, it's still a great idea to designate an experienced doctor as a co-head, or a consultant at the highest level to address medical risks expertly.
Cut antibiotic overuse with a team approach.
An Intermountain Medical Center study found that hospitals who coordinated teams consisting of an infectious disease specialist, a hospital pharmacist, and an outside pharmacist were able to identify cutting unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions by 11-25 percent — potential superbug protection.
Replace privacy curtains often.
New Canadian research finds that tested patient bed curtains become 87 percent contaminated with drug-resistant bacteria, including MRSA, after two weeks of use.
Make sure your PCAs change all curtains daily, and encourage your staff to handle the curtains as little as possible during the day to cut germ risk to your patients even further.
Have a modified policy on flowers.
A study evaluated the pros and cons of allowing flowers in patient rooms. One way to look at it: although the psychological benefits of floral deliveries is significant to some patients' emotional well-being, respiratory and infection risks from dirty water can impact patient health.
Your best bet? Work with the nursing staff on each flower to develop specific flower policies, depending on the conditions and care requirements of patient demographics.
Stay in the loop.
A weekly physician meeting regarding risk control can be illuminating in terms of informing you about their boots-on-the-ground concerns. Ask your physicians to note ongoing risk situations they encounter during the week, and voice their general concerns at the meeting.
Any urgent daily concerns discovered by any doctor, nurse or PCA on your staff should be brought to your attention immediately, of course. Listen, learn, and adjust your policies accordingly.
