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Patient safety is a significant aspect of healthcare because it drives hospital and clinical operations.
The United Kingdom has worked diligently to improve health standards, focusing on the well-being of patients. Cutting-edge technology, infection control, and a just culture lead the way. Although one-third of hospital events compromise this crucial aspect, there is still hope to reduce it to the barest minimum. Here are some practices upholding safety in healthcare.
- Medication safety
Have you ever experienced an adverse reaction to a prescribed medication? Reports indicate that this is largely due to medication error, which makes you wonder how that occurs. Wrong patient identification is the top culprit in this regard. A University of Manchester report indicated that the NHS is responsible for over 200 million medication errors annually. The chances of it happening to you or someone you know is disturbingly high. Fortunately, UK healthcare providers have responded swiftly by implementing certain useful interventions.
This includes computerising medication prescribing systems and conducting multiple checks before patients receive their medicines. Pharmacists are also doing their part by double-checking patient prescriptions to help reduce the risk of human errors. More than ever, medication safety is treated as a concerted effort, sparking countrywide patient education programmes. Although a larger responsibility rests with medical personnel, it helps that you are conscientious about medication safety to reduce risks.
- Infection control measures
This is a critical aspect of patient safety that cannot be overlooked in any healthcare system. It is, therefore, unsurprising that infection control is one of five areas where patient safety is evaluated. Mortality, injury, adverse events, error, and infection define the parameters of any healthcare facility’s quest to protect its patients. After the COVID-19 outbreak in the UK, the country reviewed and implemented rigorous infection control protocols. These included strict hand hygiene practices, enhanced PPE use, and intensified cleaning and disinfection of heavy patient traffic areas.
All these infection control protocols existed before the pandemic but intensified after it became clear that COVID was highly transmissible. Many healthcare centres redirected attention to their ventilation systems as part of infection control measures. They invested more in state-of-the-art ventilation systems with in-built features capable of decontaminating enclosures. Some had air filtration properties, ideal for hospital and clinical settings. Speaking of reducing contamination risks, some healthcare facilities have increased their use of PVC strip curtain. Some of these have antimicrobial properties to inhibit harmful bacteria growth.
- Robust reporting and improved learning culture
There is more harm in deliberately underreporting patient safety incidents. It is understandable why healthcare providers may do this. Nobody wants to have a trail of negative incidents on their report cards, but the truth is, you will deny yourself and others the opportunity to learn more. Reporting near misses, compromised health outcomes, and any other adverse events in patients build a better learning culture. Healthcare in developed nations is changing, and the UK cannot be sidelined.
Robust reporting is increasingly helping healthcare providers to promptly take corrective actions. These reports allow healthcare providers to identify the loopholes and improve their services. Patient care is a hands-on and continually changing activity, making it vital to have a reservoir of knowledge to learn from. It’s worth noting that patient care from two decades ago is remarkably different from healthcare providers’ modern strategies. Knowledge sharing and best practices go hand-in-hand with patient safety. There is no way to discuss one without the other.
- Patient-centred care
This has more to do with tailoring health services to meet unique needs. This scenario may help you understand this point better. Take two patients diagnosed with the same medical condition and require long-term treatment. It’s logical to assume that each patient will have different treatment options. This is often based on age, severity of the condition, and sometimes socio-economic factors, so keep this in mind. The latter may sound counterproductive and discriminatory, but here is why it could be a relevant factor.
Patients with a wide coverage insurance policy have better access to medications and other treatment forms because they can afford them. The other patient without insurance or has limited coverage may need to have an arrangement discussed prior with healthcare providers. The outcomes of that discussion will determine how to proceed with treatment. Believe it or not, this is a reality many patients have faced, and more importantly, it has fed into a critical area of patient-centred care. Honest communication is the foundation of quality, patient-centred care, helping people to make informed health choices.
