Patient safety experts are calling on healthcare professionals to adopt risk-profiling as a best practice, as other high-risk industries have done, to improve patient safety, according to an article published in the Journal of Patient Safety.
In the racing industry, pit stop checks and changes are performed under stress and time pressures in order to prevent life-threatening consequences to the racer. Racing team members analyze the risk during each stage of the race and coordinate and schedule the preventive measures accordingly. "By contrast, in the clinical process, events are not regularly in order and risk recognition is informal and often not given due attention," the authors write.
Authors cite a specific problem that was addressed by the World Health Organization: lack of a standardized care process in radiotherapy. A WHO work group identified risks during each stage of the radiotherapy care process, including dosage errors. As a result, risk profiling for radiotherapy has led to a strong interest in in vivo dosimetry. Authors suggest risk profiling should be extended to other aspects of healthcare.
Read the article about risk profiling in healthcare.
Read other coverage about patient safety:
- HealthGrades Study: Medical Errors Much Lower at Top-Rated Hospitals
- Safety Attitudes Questionnaire Could Improve Patient Safety Culture
- Patient Safety Expert Dr. Charles Denham on Patient Safety: Learn Global, Act Local, Be Vocal
In the racing industry, pit stop checks and changes are performed under stress and time pressures in order to prevent life-threatening consequences to the racer. Racing team members analyze the risk during each stage of the race and coordinate and schedule the preventive measures accordingly. "By contrast, in the clinical process, events are not regularly in order and risk recognition is informal and often not given due attention," the authors write.
Authors cite a specific problem that was addressed by the World Health Organization: lack of a standardized care process in radiotherapy. A WHO work group identified risks during each stage of the radiotherapy care process, including dosage errors. As a result, risk profiling for radiotherapy has led to a strong interest in in vivo dosimetry. Authors suggest risk profiling should be extended to other aspects of healthcare.
Read the article about risk profiling in healthcare.
Read other coverage about patient safety:
- HealthGrades Study: Medical Errors Much Lower at Top-Rated Hospitals
- Safety Attitudes Questionnaire Could Improve Patient Safety Culture
- Patient Safety Expert Dr. Charles Denham on Patient Safety: Learn Global, Act Local, Be Vocal