Hospital safety involves protecting patients from harm – as a result of the care provided and the environment it’s provided in. Technology has proven to be a valuable asset in the ongoing effort to keep hospitalized patients safe.
Lawrence Brilliant, MD, President of St. Mary Medical Center in Langhorne, says electronic medical record sytems aid physicians in many ways. They:
· alert physicians immediately to any drug interaction or medicine allergy that would make a specific drug harmful to a patient, and
· make a patient's chart available to their specialists or other clinical professionals
Dr. Brilliant adds that, when patients need antibiotic therapy, improved diagnostic testing allows doctors to choose the specific medication needed in the smallest effective dose. Although much attention has been given to the dangers of antibiotic resistance, the incidence is still too high. Practicing stringent medication prescription is one way hospitals and their clinical professionals demonstrate a commitment to patient safety.
However, hospital safety also relies on simple solutions. Basic hand washing, for example, is one of the easiest ways to prevent harm – to both patients and the clinical staff. In addition, having board-certified critical care physicians in the hospital 24/7, like St. Mary’s does, means specialists are “at the ready” at a moment’s notice for virtually any type of emergent inpatient need.
Patients are an important part of the hospital safety team. Dr. Brilliant recommends that patients and their caregivers ask questions to make certain they understand and follow all medical-related instructions.
One of the best ways to understand a hospital’s quality and safety record is to investigate reports from independent ratings organizations, such as The Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit, premier advocate of transparency in heathcare that has been rating hospitals for two decades. Dr. Brilliant says his hospital has received an A rating for the past four reports.