Assessment Description
The purpose of this assignment is to critically think through all aspects of risk management.
Assume that you have been newly hired as the manager of the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement team for a midsize hospital that will soon be opening a new wing. You will need to conduct a risk assessment analysis on the new wing and present it to the hospital board. Choose whether you will be assessing a new maternity unit, a new outpatient clinic, or a new supply and storage wing.
Refer to the ASHRM’s “Strategic Plan 2019-2021” resource for assistance in completing this assignment.
In a 12-15 slide PowerPoint presentation (not including title and reference slides), incorporate the following points:
- Describe the key elements of risk management.
- Identify key risk factors of the unit you chose that will need to be addressed.
- Legal, regulatory, and accrediting risk factors that will need to be addressed.
- Stakeholders that will need to be involved in the risk management process, along with their roles and the context of their involvement in the evaluation and decision-making process.
- Evaluate the hospital’s short-term strategic plan to mitigate and provide solutions for identified risks. How do these risk management solutions compare to the ASHRM’s strategic plan to improve risk management?
- Evaluate the hospital’s long-term strategic plan to mitigate and provide solutions for identified risks. How do these risk management solutions compare to the ASHRM’s strategic plan to improve risk management?
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
As a medical professor responsible for creating college assignments and evaluating student performance, a critical aspect of medical education is understanding risk management. In this assignment, you have been hired as the manager of the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement team for a midsize hospital that is opening a new wing. The task at hand involves conducting a risk assessment analysis on the new wing and presenting it to the hospital board. The focus of this assignment is to critically think through all aspects of risk management.
Answer:
1. Key Elements of Risk Management:
The key elements of risk management include identifying and assessing risks, developing and implementing strategies to mitigate these risks, monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of risk management strategies, and continuously improving the risk management process. Effective communication, collaboration, and a culture of safety are also essential components of successful risk management.
2. Key Risk Factors:
The new wing being assessed is a new outpatient clinic. The key risk factors that will need to be addressed in this clinic include patient safety concerns, potential medical errors, equipment malfunction, and inadequate staffing levels. Other potential risks include insufficient training, human error, and external factors beyond the clinic’s control.
3. Legal, Regulatory, and Accrediting Risk Factors:
Legal and regulatory risk factors that must be addressed in the new outpatient clinic include compliance with federal and state laws and regulations, privacy and security requirements, and accreditation standards. The clinic must comply with patient privacy and confidentiality laws, anti-discrimination laws, and state and federal regulations governing medical practices.
4. Stakeholders Involved in Risk Management:
Stakeholders that need to be involved in the risk management process include the hospital board, executive management, clinical staff, administrative staff, patients, families and caregivers, and regulatory bodies. The roles of these stakeholders include assessing risks, providing input into the development and implementation of risk management strategies, and evaluating the effectiveness of risk management initiatives.
5. Short-Term Strategic Plan:
The hospital’s short-term strategic plan involves implementing immediate risk management solutions to mitigate identified risks in the new clinic. These strategies include increased staff training, improved equipment maintenance, and enhanced communication between staff and patients. The hospital’s short-term strategic plan aligns with the ASHRM’s strategic plan, which emphasizes the need for immediate action to address identified risks in healthcare facilities.
6. Long-Term Strategic Plan:
The hospital’s long-term strategic plan involves implementing ongoing risk management strategies to continuously monitor, evaluate, and improve patient safety and quality of care in the new clinic. Strategies include ongoing training and education for clinical staff, continuous monitoring of equipment, regular assessments of risk, and ongoing evaluation of risk management initiatives. This plan aligns with the ASHRM’s strategic plan, which emphasizes the need for ongoing monitoring and evaluation of risk management processes to ensure continuous improvement and patient safety.
Conclusion:
The ability to critically assess, analyze and evaluate risk management initiatives is a critical aspect of healthcare. The success of any risk management program depends on the identification and mitigation of potential risks, effective communication, collaboration, and the creation of a culture of safety. As demonstrated in this assignment, risk management is a comprehensive process that requires both short-term and long-term strategic plans to manage risks effectively and ensure patient safety and quality outcomes in healthcare settings.
