Not all hospital-related incidents or events can be entirely avoided. However, given that particular measures are implemented to actively avoid them from occurring and costing both the patient and the insurance provider’s finances, specific events have been identified by CMS as avoidable occurrences. These occurrences are referred to as “never events.” According to Anderson and Watt (2020), Several other events that are connected to severe levels of harm are not classified as never events, while not all never events are connected to significant patient harm. My organization has decided to look much further for ways to enhance patient care instead of concentrating only on never events or unsafe acts.
One important aspect that my organization has been using is technology. Health information technology is essential in achieving zero never events and in making up for human weaknesses (Chokshi & Beckman, 2022). For instance, instead of handwritten prescriptions, practitioners input all of them through a computerized system directly into an electronic system that automatically examines for faults. This ensures that the appropriate medication is provided to the right patient and at the right time. We have implemented a cutting-edge pharmaceutical processing and packing method that affixes a bar code with patient-specific data and dosing directions to each medication.
Another measure my healthcare organization has adopted is for the medical personnel to take care of themselves by getting enough rest, exercising, eating healthily, and remaining mentally and spiritually fit. According to Anderson and Watt (2020), one can only take good care of others if they take good care of themselves. Due to the fact that these events can be prevented and are unprofitable from a business perspective, most healthcare facilities and other care clinics have developed procedures and guidelines to fully eradicate them (Chokshi & Beckman, 2022). The Joint Commission has made a significant effort to address this significant issue in healthcare by developing requirements that must be met in order to be granted and maintain their accreditation, including requirements to avoid the “never events” mentioned by the CMS.
References
Anderson, J. E., & Watt, A. J. (2020). Using safety-II and resilient healthcare principles to learn from never events. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 32(3), 196–203. Web.
Chokshi, D. A., & Beckman, A. L. (2022). A new category of “Never events”—ending harmful hospital policies. JAMA Health Forum, 3(10). Web.