Medical errors in hospitals and medical practices should not be a common occurrence. Unfortunately, they still happen. Consider these top ways to reduce medical errors to provide more accurate, efficient, and safe care and avoid dangerous mistakes.
Focus on Clear Communication
One of the most significant causes of medical errors is miscommunication. Implement methods like checklists and staff check-ins to ensure everyone is on the same page and nothing is missed when changing shifts or passing a patient off to another medical professional.
Similarly, clear communication with patients can make a drastic difference in preventing medical errors. The more you communicate with patients, the better understanding they’ll have of their treatment, and the better you’ll understand their symptoms.
Reduce Risk of Infections
Hospitals and doctors’ offices can quickly become an incubator for germs. Follow clear disinfecting and cleaning guidelines to avoid leaving your patients susceptible to dangerous infections resulting from lingering germs.
Avoid Diagnostic Errors
It’s essential to give your patients the proper treatment from the start of their medical journey to the end. Accurate diagnoses are key to finding the right treatments early on. Rely on your entire medical team to get the correct diagnosis, and be sure to use top-quality diagnostic devices, as these have many vital diagnosis applications.
Use Electronic Health Records
Electronic health record (EHR) systems provide clear information on patients. With paper records, vital information can quickly end up lost, or the documents can simply be too hard to follow. EHR systems make transferring documents among medical staff quick, secure, and easy. Electronic forms are also clear and concise—say goodbye to struggling to read your coworker’s handwriting on a paper document.
EHR documents are also easily transferrable. This leaves little room for error when directing a patient to a specialist.
Reducing medical errors should be a top priority for all medical practices. With these suggestions, medical staff can get back to focusing on safe and effective patient care.
