Be open with discussions on what can be done better. Don't point the finger of blame. Learn from past mistakes. The "culture of safety" at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics focuses on building an environment of trust and respect where education and systematic improvements are the tools for success, notes Mary Kay Brooks, a hospital safety champion and quality care expert. "More than just the prevention of errors," she says, "our safety commitment also includes the avoidance of anything harmful to the patient."
Vanguards of safety
Patient safety is an "every patient, every time" priority at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Here are a few examples of the work UI Hospitals and Clinics has done to increase safety:
- Developed a multidisciplinary team that reviews incident reports weekly to identify opportunities for improvement in safe practices
- Implemented a Web-based reporting system in which errors and "near misses" can be reported, tracked, and used to prevent future occurrences
- Implemented an automated critical care management system that gives staff in the intensive care units quick access to information they need to make better decisions, improve record-keeping, and increase direct patient care
- Implemented an electronic medication administration system that uses bar code technology to help staff validate they are giving the right drug to the right patient
- Performed regular "walk-around" visits by hospital administrators to patient care areas as an added another layer of oversight and accountability
- Created a "Partners in Safety" program that encourage patients and their family members to ask questions and play central roles in their own plans of care
- Invested in the latest ergonomic equipment that makes patient transfers safer and easier
A culture of patient-centered care
Customer-friendly ideas like the Ritz Carlton service philosophy of "ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen" are helping University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics move forward with its commitment to the service-oriented principles of the Baldrige National Quality Program. Baldrige was established by Congress in 1987 as a way to recognize U.S. organizations for achievement and promote quality awareness. Baldrige principles encourage employees to insist on consistent excellence. Patients and families will feel the impact of a more patient-centered culture of high-quality, service-oriented care.
A better patient care experience
Patient care appointments made more conveniently in less time. That's one of many goals in a plan for reorganizing, managing, and operating the hospital's patient care clinics. Innovative Quality and Service in Our Clinics provides a blueprint for systematically improving the entire clinical environment, including the quality of care and service provided to patients. Many individual initiatives are being launched that support the plan, including newly updated "standards of excellence" for clinical staff, a training academy for teaching patient-centered behaviors, and operational efficiencies that improve the patient care experience.
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