All health care providers have to carefully utilize their resources to avoid excessive usage. My current work setting is a psychiatric facility that has many patients requiring continuous assistance and care, which, in turn, leads to extensive use of supplies. The managers of the facility employ several effective tactics to reduce the over-usage of vital resources and inform the workers about the costs associated with different medications and treatments.
There are several key trends in my workplace, yet the most significant one is the rise in the number of younger people being admitted to the facility. Data shows that in the recent decade, the number of visits to the psychiatric emergency department by young people has increased (Kalb et al., 2019). Many young complex needs patients can require different types of medication to function properly. Since patients with complex needs have several chronic conditions, they often become misdiagnosed and prescribed the wrong medication. To counter it, the hospital ensures that treatment for each patient is determined by an interdisciplinary team which improves professionals’ clinical judgment. The hospital also encourages nurses to keep medication ready for each patient, which considerably saves time and money and lets them engage in early thinking. Additionally, to stimulate the staff to act responsibly, the management publishes monthly reports on the costs of medication and treatment procedures. Such information demonstrates the expenses associated with the employees’ actions and motivates them to reduce the waste of supplies.
The issue of excessive use of supplies in health care is a topical one, and, in my workplace, some strategies help the staff reduce their usage of supplies. An interdisciplinary team of doctors assesses each patient to avoid misdiagnosing and wasting resources. Nurses keep medication for each patient organized and easily accessible. Finally, the hospital leadership updates the staff on the expenses associated with treatment and medications, thus reminding them of the cost of health care.
Reference
Kalb, L., Stapp, E., Ballard, E., Holingue, C., Keefer, A., and Riley, A. (2019). Trends in psychiatric emergency department visits among youth and young adults in the US. Pediatrics, 143(4), 1–15. Web.