Introduction
Chain of events is a phrase used to refer to stages of an event. It also refers to actions or steps taken by an individual(s) in a given procedure. In this case it is important to know the initial and the final events as well as the relationship between events. These actions should yield certain effects. Incase a patient incident occurs there should be liability follow up put in place to address the issue. However, this is not normally the case in many organizations. The management always starts shifting the blame and responsibility (National Audit Office, 2008).
Organization’s Liability Follows When an Incident Occurs with Staff, the Organization, and the Patient
Incase an incident occurs; the organization should prepare the necessary documents to be used to defend and maintain the organization’s image. Since the incident has occurred the legal department should work on the issue of liability. Prior to publication, the legal department should go through the documents to make certain that the necessary evaluations have been made (Flanagan, 1954).
An organization in such a case starts by analyzing capabilities and hazard. People are then assigned roles and responsibilities in order to work on the situation. Assessment should be performed. This is to ensure that the standards outlined in the organization’s policies are still in place. Policies and procedures are analyzed to investigate whether the incident is as a result of under employing the organization’s policies.
Remedial and mitigation strategies are employed to address the situation. It is important to consider the set standards in line with the organization’s policies. At this point the management should come up with procedures and measurements that would prevent such incident from recurring. This includes training the members of staff.
When the incident occurs with staff or patient in an organization reporting them is very crucial. This improves the patient or staff safety. Organization should not fear any punitive action as a result of the incident. They should publicly report. Reporting may be external or internal. The organization reports to regulatory, governmental or voluntary agencies (Rubin, 1990).
Relationship between the Quality Assurance Department and the Legal Department
It is important to note that if the information is not well handled legally it can result to liability. In addition, if the quality assurance team fails, the products or services are termed as having improper standards. This in return creates liability.
The two departments should work hand in hand in an organization when a patient incident occurs. The legal department should ensure that it has taken all necessary due diligence covering all areas just in case the legal action is taken against the organization as a result of the patient incident. It also ensures that no other incident occurs that may cause liability as a result of trying to address the existing situation. Quality assurance department on the other hand ensures that the implemented remediation and mitigation employed meet the required standards (Thomas and Schumann, 1997).
Conclusion
Organization’s liability follow when an incident occurs is a clear indication of establishing the underlying causes of the incident. With this kind of process, protection measures against such incidences in future are employed. A well planned action during an emergence not only saves life but also reduces organization’s potential liability.
References
Flanagan, J. (1954). The Critical Incident Technique. Psychology Journal, 51: 327–58. National Audit Office. (2008). Patient Safety. London: The Stationery Office.
Rubin, J. (1990). Critical Incident Stress Debriefing. Emergency Nurse, 16:255-258.
Thomas, D. & Schumann, M. (1997). Legal Liability: A Guide for Safety and Loss Prevention Professionals. New York: Jones & Bartlett Learning.