Safety Measures for Patients & Health Care Providers

Employees of the health care industry are constantly in danger of exposing themselves or their patients to potential health risks. Hospital workers frequently file for workman's compensation due to sprains, hepatitis, mental illness and infectious disease, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH). If all health care providers take the issue of patient and worker safety seriously, their efforts will be well worth the positive results.

Problem Areas

• Hospital employees are exposed to harmful diseases, chemicals, radiation, solvents, electrical hazards and other dangerous situations, whether in maintenance, housekeeping or the ER. Workers are also subject to high levels of stress and noise, which can affect the ability to focus and result in medical error. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) was mandated by Congress in 2000 to promote greater patient safety and reduce medical mistakes. The agency reveals that incidents of falls and pressure ulcers are common in nursing homes. If determined to be due to negligent, inattentive workers, appropriate action must be taken.

Locate Hazards

• Set up safety and health committees in large settings, such as hospitals and nursing homes. Create a committee for each floor or for certain areas and have the members periodically inspect their areas for potential safety or health hazards. Make a list of the hazards and address every problem in a timely manner. Record all incidents that result in patient or worker injury or death by computer. This will reveal what areas of the company are less safe and need to be addressed.

Establish Procedures

• All health care facilities should have general safety procedures in writing and give each employee a copy. Make copies available to patients. In addition to the written list, implement a process that allows patients and workers to file incident reports anonymously whenever a breach in safety procedures has been detected. Follow up with investigations and take any necessary actions to prevent the same incidents from recurring.

Management Involvement

• Executive officers of a health care facility must be fully dedicated to addressing and maintaining worker and patient safety. They must be present and show interest by making rounds to ensure things are being done properly. Without support from the top, safety measures put into place will never be truly enforced. Have upper management evaluate home care workers on a regular basis to make sure they are performing their duties and stressing patient safety.

Continual Training

• Yearly training and educational classes for all types of health care workers can significantly improve quality of care by reinforcing important procedures and reducing medical error. Construct mandatory training classes and workshops addressing measures that need to be ingrained in workers' memories, such as safe administering of medication, basic hygiene (washing hands, using gloves, getting necessary shots, proper removal of hazardous wastes), first aid and CPR.

Informed Public

• Keep patients and the public informed of any current concerns. Open communication can be a very valuable tool. Health care companies need to acquire a positive relationship with the media to reveal important information on a widespread basis or keep in close contact with patients and inform them individually of any great health or safety concerns.