Risk Management in the Hospital Setting

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Risk management is the system in which companies assess potential liabilities within an organization (Raso, Gulinello, 2011). Through this process information is gathered, assessed, and implemented to avoid these potential risk. Risk managers are beneficial to their organizations because not only do they save money but they can also save lives. In the hospital setting where mistakes can cost someone their lives, risk managers work to develop protocols to help prevent human error. Information is gathered through the process of evidence based practice as well as guidelines in place by best practice. Not only do they help protect the lives of the patients within the facilities, they are also responsible for ensuring staff safety. A risk manager’s responsibility is multi-faceted and complex. They will prevent potential litigations by implementing patient safety protocols, reduce risk to associates, and reduce cost to the organizations. Never events In order for hospitals to be reimbursed from government based insure companies certain standards must be met. When standards are not met, any subsequent cost in relationship to preventable errors will not be remunerated (Youngberg, 2011). These preventable errors are termed never events. Never events are considered error that can be prevented if certain checklist and guidelines are in place are followed such as medication errors, falls with injury, wrong surgical site, and pressure ulcers (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2012). There are currently ten mandated never events (Youngberg, 2011). In order to avoid these preventable human errors, risk manager help implement policies and procedure. This process based on risk analysis and outcomes which helps to improv... ... middle of paper ... ...ch and Quality (October, 2012). Never Events. Retrieved from ahrq.com. website http://psnet.ahrq.gov/primer.aspx?primerID=3 Center for Disease Control and Prevention (September 20, 2013). Costs of Falls Among Older Adults. Retrieved from cdc.gov. Website http://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls/fallcost.html Mayo, A., Duncan D., (September 2004). Nurse Perceptions of Medication Errors: What We Need to Know for Patient Safety. Journal of Nursing Care Quality (Vol. 19-3, pp. 209-217). Retrieved from http://www.nursingcenter.com/lnc/journalarticle?Article_ID=514523 Raso, R., Gulinello, C., (February 2011). Creating cultures of safety: Risk Management Challenges and Strategies. Retrieved from lww.com doi: 10.1097/01.NUMA.0000390459.88752.0c Youngberg, B., (2011). Principles of Risk Management and Patient Safety. Jones & Bartlett Learning, Sudbury, MA

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