Every medical practitioner has a duty of care towards their patients each day. Not only are they responsible for diagnosing, preventing and managing various medical conditions and injuries, but they must also strive to provide a safe environment for every person who enters a practice.
It is, therefore, imperative for each medical organisation to take the steps to improve their internal standards. Read the following five ways to improve patient safety.
- Encourage Hand Hygiene Compliance
Dirty hands can pose a serious risk to patient safety, as it can lead to the transmission of various healthcare associated infections. Good hand hygiene can, however, help to combat the potential risk, which is why medical practitioners must not underestimate its importance in their practice.
It is imperative to launch hand hygiene initiatives, if you have yet to do so, which should educate both your staff and patients on how to clean their hands at the practice and provide facts on its importance. Gloves and alcohol-based rubs should also be placed at every bedside to support healthcare standards.
- Organize Training and Development Courses
Every medical practice should be committed to improving their healthcare standards, which is why they should organize training and development courses to provide every patient with a safer medical practice. It is also crucial to seek professional advice when faced with internal challenges, which you can gain access to with a legal and professional indemnity membership.
- Follow Strict Barrier Precautions
In addition to encouraging hand hygiene processes for both employees and patients, you also must instruct your staff to follow strict barrier precautions, which can prevent healthcare associated infections.
For example, if a patient has a nosocomial infection, all medical practitioners must wear both gloves and gowns when caring for their needs. What’s more, they must use disposable medical equipment and embark on hand hygiene requirements. It can ultimately prevent the spread of infections across a medical unit.
- Reduce Surgical Complications with Preop Checklists
Prevent minor and major surgical complications by devising a safety checklist for all members of the surgical team to follow.
For example, they must confirm various facts prior to a surgery, such as:
- A patient’s identity
- The surgical site
- The procedure type
- Potential problems
- The correct sponge count following surgery
- The administration of antibiotic prophylaxis
A checklist could slash a healthcare organisation’s complication rate while improving patient health and safety.
- Implement Catheter-Associated Protocols
Urinary tract infections caused by catheters are one of the most common infections associated with inpatient care, and they are also preventable. The issue is often caused by leaving them in for longer than necessary or using them as a substitute for nursing care. To prevent your staff from forgetting about a catheter placement, you should utilize electronic systems or sticker reminders, which could prevent the development of the unnecessary infection. A failure to do so could potentially exacerbate a patient’s existing medical condition; for example, a UTI can pose a serious risk for those living with dementia.