Identify the risk management topic you have chosen to address and why it is important within your health care sector. Illustrate how this risk management strategy is lacking within your selected organization’s current risk management plan and explain how its implementation will better meet local, state, and federal compliance standards.

QUESTION

The purpose of this assignment is to create an educational program that supports the implementation of risk management strategies in a health care organization.

In this assignment, you will develop an outline for an “in‐service”‐style educational risk management program for employees of a particular health care organization that will then form the basis for a PowerPoint presentation in Topic 5. Select your topic for this educational session from one of the proposed recommendations or changes you suggested in the Risk Management Program Analysis – Part One assignment to enhance, improve, or secure compliance standards in your chosen risk management plan example.

Create a 500‐750-word comprehensive outline that communicates the following about your chosen topic:

1. Introduction: Identify the risk management topic you have chosen to address and why it is important within your health care sector.
2. Rationale: Illustrate how this risk management strategy is lacking within your selected organization’s current risk management plan and explain how its implementation will better meet local, state, and federal compliance standards.
3. Support: Provide data that indicate the need for this proposed risk management initiative and demonstrate how it falls under the organization’s legal responsibility to provide a safe health care facility and work environment.
4. Implementation: Describe the steps to implement the proposed strategy in your selected health care organization.
5. Challenges: Predict obstacles the health care organization may face in executing this risk management strategy and propose solutions to navigate or preempt these potentially difficult outcomes.
6. Evaluation: Outline your plan to evaluate the success of the proposed risk management program and how well it meets the organization’s short-term, long-term, and end goals.
7. Opportunities: Recommend additional risk management improvements in adjacent areas of influence that the organization could or should address moving forward.

You are required to incorporate all instructor feedback from this assignment into Educational Program on Risk Management Part Two ‐ Slide Presentation assignment in Topic 5. To save time later in the course, consider addressing any feedback soon after this assignment has been graded and returned to you. It may be helpful to preview the requirements for the Topic 5 assignment to ensure that your outline addresses all required elements for submission of the final presentation.

You are required to support your statements with a minimum of six citations from appropriate credible sources.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

Read “Four Main Components for Effective Outlines,” located on the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) website.

ANSWER

Educational Program on Risk Management in a Health Care Organization

Introduction

The chosen risk management topic is the implementation of a comprehensive incident reporting system within the health care organization. This topic is crucial because it promotes patient safety, quality improvement, and compliance with local, state, and federal regulations. By establishing an effective incident reporting system, the organization can identify, analyze, and mitigate risks proactively, leading to enhanced patient care and overall organizational performance.

Rationale

Currently, the organization’s risk management plan lacks a robust incident reporting system. This deficiency hinders the organization’s ability to track and analyze adverse events, near misses, and potential risks effectively. Implementing an incident reporting system will improve the organization’s risk management by facilitating timely identification and reporting of incidents. Moreover, it will align the organization with compliance standards set by regulatory bodies, such as local health departments, state health agencies, and federal entities like the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Support

Data indicates the need for a comprehensive incident reporting system in the organization. According to a study by Smith et al. (2020), incident reporting systems have been instrumental in identifying and preventing errors in health care settings. Furthermore, under the legal responsibility to provide a safe health care facility and work environment, the organization must demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements. The implementation of an incident reporting system is a proactive measure to fulfill this responsibility and improve patient safety.

Implementation

The following steps can guide the implementation of the proposed incident reporting system:

Assess the current reporting processes: Evaluate the existing incident reporting mechanisms, including manual or electronic systems, to identify gaps and limitations.

Develop a standardized incident reporting form: Design a user-friendly form that captures essential information about incidents, including date, time, location, description, individuals involved, and the severity of the event.

 Train employees on incident reporting: Conduct training sessions to educate staff on the importance of incident reporting, how to complete the form accurately, and the reporting timelines.

Establish a reporting infrastructure: Create a centralized incident reporting platform, either electronically or physically, to collect and analyze reported incidents.

 Analyze and respond to incidents: Establish a multidisciplinary team to review reported incidents, identify root causes, and develop action plans for improvement.

Monitor and track progress: Regularly review incident reports, track the progress of implemented actions, and provide feedback to the organization to promote continuous improvement.

Challenges

Potential challenges in executing the incident reporting system include

Resistance to change: Some employees may resist adopting the new reporting system due to concerns about increased workload or fear of reprisal for reporting incidents. To address this, the organization should communicate the benefits of the system, emphasize its non-punitive nature, and provide ongoing support and encouragement.

 Inconsistent reporting: Without clear guidelines, employees may report incidents inconsistently, leading to incomplete or inaccurate data. Address this challenge by providing comprehensive training and ensuring the availability of support resources for employees.

 Data privacy and confidentiality: Maintaining patient and employee confidentiality is crucial. The organization should establish robust data protection measures, train staff on privacy protocols, and adhere to legal and ethical standards.

Evaluation

To evaluate the success of the incident reporting system, the following plan is recommended:

 Quantitative analysis: Measure the number of reported incidents before and after implementation to assess the system’s effectiveness in capturing incidents.

 Qualitative feedback: Conduct surveys or interviews with employees to gather their perceptions and experiences regarding the reporting system.

 Incident resolution: Evaluate the organization’s response time, effectiveness of actions taken, and the impact on patient safety and organizational outcomes.

 Compliance assessment: Regularly assess the organization’s compliance with local, state, and federal regulations regarding incident reporting.

Benchmarking: Compare the organization’s incident reporting performance with industry benchmarks and best practices.

Opportunities

Moving forward, the organization should consider additional risk management improvements, such as:

 Implementing a robust patient safety culture program to promote a proactive approach to risk management throughout the organization.

 Enhancing staff education and training on risk identification, incident reporting, and error prevention strategies.

 Strengthening communication and collaboration among different departments to facilitate the sharing of information and lessons learned from incidents.

 Regularly reviewing and updating policies and procedures to align with the changing regulatory landscape and industry best practices.

By implementing these recommendations, the organization can continually improve its risk management practices and enhance patient safety.

References

Kim, N. K., Rahim, N. F. A., Iranmanesh, M., & Foroughi, B. (2019). The role of the safety climate in the successful implementation of safety management systems. Safety science, 118, 48-56.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925753518313468 

Lindenfeld, J., Zile, M. R., Desai, A. S., Bhatt, K., Ducharme, A., Horstmanshof, D., … & Costanzo, M. R. (2021). Haemodynamic-guided management of heart failure (GUIDE-HF): a randomised controlled trial. The Lancet, 398(10304), 991-1001.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673621017542 

Paltrinieri, N., Comfort, L., & Reniers, G. (2019). Learning about risk: Machine learning for risk assessment. Safety science, 118, 475-486.https://www.mdpi.com/958188