Healthcare Risk Management Blog

Rhonda asked that I put up some information on the difference between urgent activities (or demands) and important activities. I made the remark at the residency that the urgent often drives out the important and, when that happens, we are less effective than we should be.

Rather than composing a lecture for you, I decided to give you two short, but very good sources of information. The first focuses on the difference between urgent and important and the relative importance of each. The second focuses on how to manage your time so that you make certain that the urgent does NOT drive out the important.

Hope you find these useful.

John

http://www.yuni.com/library/docs/633.html

http://www.prioritymanagement.com/EN/productivity_tips/urgent_vs_important/

In the last 20 years, new areas of focus have arisen requiring attention from those in healthcare (and other industries) who desire to provide the highest quality of services and products (outcomes). Healthcare professionals recognize that they have a duty to protect their patients and their organizations. They gather information and knowledge to assist in meeting requirements as each new standard is introduced.

While we work to improve quality, comply with regulations and adopt patient safety goals, we need to understand that the standards against which healthcare is measured are constantly changing. The legal system continues to modify the definition of the standard of care. The standard of care is the minimum legal standard and is defined by what a reasonably prudent healthcare professional would do. Failing to meet this minimum standard is defined as negligence.

We must not only adopt and implement patient safety goals, new regulations and quality measures, we must recognize that they are becoming the new minimum legal requirement. Failing to properly implement patient safety goals, etc. means that we risk being found negligent if our patients suffer as a result of our failure to meet these new standards and goals.

One of the best ways to develop program ideas in any field, including risk management, is through the study of best practices. Best practice forces us to look outside our own organization and even our own discipline and combats that deadly organizational sin, NIH (not invented here). When we study other organizations, we do not necessarily try to directly copy their approach, after all they are in a somewhat different context. We can, however, get ideas of what works for them and why it works. We can then use this as raw materials to stimulate our own ideas and develop our own innovation.

With this in mind, I encourage you to look at the site, Risk and Insurance Management at Vanderbilt Medical Center. It includes some details on their approach to risk management, patient safety, medical malpractice and other issues. Enjoy!

John

While not related directly to risk management, Mayo Clinics Tools for a Healthier Life is a very interesting site. During the summer residency we will focus some time on how to present a more positive image for your institution. Obviously, Mayo has used this vehicle as one way to positively present their Clinic.

Enjoy

John