Improving Hospital Performance and Patient Safety

The American Society of Health Administrators recently released its ninth annual report on the health and safety performance of hospital systems in the United States. As part of their investigation, the hospital administration was asked to investigate whether the performance of facilities in a given category is adequate and will continue to provide safe care for all patients. In most cases, it is safe to say that the health facilities are performing well.

In addition to the healthcare system performance, the report found that in-hospital critical care is critical to achieving quality health care. This is because some patients are not ambulatory at the time of care delivery, which poses an obstacle to timely decision making and administration of medication.

Hospital administrators are aware of the critical nature of critically ill patients and have established clear and detailed guidelines regarding critical care and resuscitation. With specific hospital protocols and training, the EMS team has access to an EMS patient with the highest level of care. Ensuring the safety of all patients requires that the EMS providers are well trained and adequately trained.

Hospitals are also regularly monitored by government agencies to make sure that emergency response centers are operating according to the latest protocols and training guidelines. At the same time, hospitals are continually reminded to monitor patient status on a daily basis.

The recommendations in the report are an effort to ensure a safe and healthy environment for healthcare workers and patients alike. Healthcare facilities must constantly strive to improve their performance, even as they continuously strive to maintain the highest standards of care. With that being said, healthcare facilities cannot afford to ignore health care issues.

There are ongoing efforts by hospital management to implement best practices that improve patient safety and patient care. All hospitals must be proactive about implementing those guidelines.

Hospitals and healthcare organizations must actively seek feedback from their healthcare provider community regarding their patient care quality. Hospitals are required to publicly disclose their staffing and patient care quality metrics. Hospitals are also encouraged to conduct annual audits that include employee reporting.

Hospital officials are also encouraged to share information with medical professionals, insurance companies, and other interested parties. The department of health and human services often helps healthcare organizations improve their processes and protocols. They also provide information to inform programs and training of healthcare workers.

If you are in the healthcare industry, you are probably familiar with ACO (Association of Independent Colleges and Universities) accreditation. The American College of Emergency Physicians' provides the highest level of accreditation possible for healthcare professionals. Hospital administrators should take advantage of this program to ensure their facilities are accredited.

International standards have been developed by experts in different fields to help ensure that healthcare facilities operate safely and effectively. The standards are used by healthcare professionals around the world to determine whether hospitals are performing at their best.

Hospital officials are encouraged to identify a host of issues related to patient safety and infrastructure as a part of their mission. This way, they can identify and address those areas which need improvement and then implement those improvements. As hospital administrators, it is your responsibility to ensure that patient safety is protected and that healthcare facilities are managed to meet the highest standards of excellence.