In an interview with Minnesota Public Radio, Jon Hallberg, MD, a physician in family medicine at the University of Minnesota and director of the Mill City Clinic, discussed reducing errors in the outpatient setting.
Dr. Hallberg pointed out that the vast majority of healthcare encounters occur in the outpatient setting. He said the problem lies in a lack of protocols and procedures for outpatient centers compared to hospitals. "They looked at ten years of data, and they found that, you know, it's almost like a lost decade — that there was so much focus on what happens in the hospital setting … that we've just sort of forgotten that there's this huge interaction with healthcare that has been not really looked at."
He said he has seen some progress in reducing outpatient errors. For example, a few years ago, Dr. Hallberg's colleagues put together a clinic for patients on the drug Coumadin. Any patient who takes the medication goes through that clinic, and they benefit from the expertise of pharmacists. For years, he says physician offices were monitoring Coumadin themselves and failing to adjust the medications properly.
Related Articles on Patient Safety:
St. John's Episcopal Laboratory Suspended for Failed Inspection
AORN Issues New Recommended Practice for Medication Safety
Joint Commission Announces 2012 Board Appointments
Dr. Hallberg pointed out that the vast majority of healthcare encounters occur in the outpatient setting. He said the problem lies in a lack of protocols and procedures for outpatient centers compared to hospitals. "They looked at ten years of data, and they found that, you know, it's almost like a lost decade — that there was so much focus on what happens in the hospital setting … that we've just sort of forgotten that there's this huge interaction with healthcare that has been not really looked at."
He said he has seen some progress in reducing outpatient errors. For example, a few years ago, Dr. Hallberg's colleagues put together a clinic for patients on the drug Coumadin. Any patient who takes the medication goes through that clinic, and they benefit from the expertise of pharmacists. For years, he says physician offices were monitoring Coumadin themselves and failing to adjust the medications properly.
Related Articles on Patient Safety:
St. John's Episcopal Laboratory Suspended for Failed Inspection
AORN Issues New Recommended Practice for Medication Safety
Joint Commission Announces 2012 Board Appointments