The hospital is an important place for people to recover from injuries and illnesses. Your hospital should always have the best safety protocols, but there are times when certain measures may go unattended, and the patient’s safety is put into question. These common patient safety concerns should be a priority and addressed quickly.
Post-Surgical Errors
Whenever a patient has surgery, there is a period when they are still at risk of having an injury, such as tearing their stitches or internal bleeding from a bad incision. These potential risks from a medical procedure put the patient at risk of further injury or illness. Your hospital must ensure the patient has a new surgeon and their wounds mend. Ensuring that the surgeon has enough time to perform the surgery at a steady pace and doesn’t rush through the procedure will decrease the chances of an error occurring.
Fall Injuries
Falling is a constant danger in the world, and in a hospital, there are many hazards for different patients who have trouble standing or walking, such as falling and injuring themselves. A fall can occur while a patient gets out of bed or walks a short distance to the bathroom, posing a great health concern for the patient. Perform constant check-ins on patients who have trouble walking and have the hospital bed set to sound an alarm when the patient exits the bed. These measures will help your healthcare workers ensure patients don’t fall and injure themselves.
Erroneous Medication Administration
Medication is one of a hospital’s primary forms of assistance to a patient’s health, but an error may occur in how the patient receives medicine. Many hospitals use IV pumps to administer medication automatically at a specified rate or breathing machines to supply oxygen. But various things may go wrong, such as the power failing or a hitch in the IV tube. It’s important to perform routine maintenance on your medical equipment to ensure that patients receive the medicine they need without interruption.
Pharmaceutical Errors
The pharmacy is responsible for distributing the prescription drugs that patients need and verifying that these medications go to the correct patients. But there are times when a system error occurs or an order is inputted incorrectly, and a patient may receive an incorrect dose or medication.
This mistake is a common safety concern for patients, as they need their medicine promptly and in the correct dosage to maintain their health. Verifying other parts of a patient’s ID, such as their date of birth or ID sticker, will help the pharmacy pull records more accurately and prevent the mistake of supplying the wrong medication.
Safety is a top priority in hospitals, and healthcare workers and the administration of hospitals should always keep it in mind. These common patient concerns occur often, and these tips will help hospitals prevent them from happening further.
