Risk Management and Patient Safety in Healthcare Administration Capstone

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In healthcare administration, risk management and patient safety are integral to providing high-quality care while minimizing harm and ensuring regulatory compliance. Your capstone project can focus on improving safety protocols and developing effective risk management strategies.

1.1 Understanding Risk Management in Healthcare

Risk management in healthcare involves identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks that could impact patient care, organizational operations, and overall safety. These risks may include:

  • Clinical risks: Such as medication errors, infections, or falls.
  • Operational risks: Related to workflow inefficiencies or staff shortages.
  • Compliance risks: Risks of failing to meet healthcare regulations, such as HIPAA or OSHA standards.

1.2 Patient Safety Protocols

Patient safety focuses on preventing errors that could harm patients. A capstone project on patient safety might examine strategies to:

  • Reduce hospital-acquired infections (HAIs).
  • Improve patient identification protocols to prevent wrong-site surgeries.
  • Address medication errors through better administration processes.

1.3 Developing a Risk Management Plan

Your project should propose a comprehensive risk management plan, which could include:

  • Risk identification: Conducting assessments (e.g., audits or surveys) to identify potential risks within a healthcare organization.
  • Risk mitigation strategies: Developing specific action plans, such as implementing standardized procedures, improving staff training, or introducing new technologies to enhance safety.
  • Monitoring and review: Setting up a system to continuously monitor risks and evaluate the effectiveness of risk management strategies.

1.4 Measuring Patient Safety and Risk Outcomes

Incorporate performance metrics like:

  • Incident reporting and analysis.
  • Patient safety culture surveys to gauge staff awareness and attitudes.
  • Data analysis on adverse events (e.g., medication errors, patient falls) to track improvement over time.

Published by Lisa