Patient Safety in the Boardroom
Traditionally seen as honorary positions, Board of Directors at hospitals are charged with a new task: preventing errors. In the past, these oversight committees generally limited their scope to fundraising and networking activities. Committees are often comprised of individuals with a diverse set of educational background, with limited focus on clinical practice of medicine. However, this new interest in outcomes enables a top-down approach to addressing one of the most costly areas of medical practice that can be prevented. The Boston Globe lists several hospitals in Massachusetts where trustees investigate mistakes and have started engaging the medical staff on these issues.
This new approach ensures attention to policies and procedures to optimize patient safety throughout the hospital. Implementing plans to reduce medication errors, for example, have significant implications on the cost to treat as well as overall outcomes. In 1999, almost 100,000 Americans died secondary to medical errors. Corralling key stakeholders involved in oversight of care will address safety issues through modification of patient care practices and overall hospital procedures. In collaboration with physicians and nurses who have clinical knowledge and experience, Hospital Boards can implement best practices to reduce hospital errors.
March 5, 2007 Related topics: Quality, Safety, Errors