Patient Safety

Addressing behavioral health has become one of the key challenges facing hospitals and health systems today. Research shows that half of all Americans will develop a behavioral health disorder in their lifetime; and adults with mental illness will die earlier at a disproportionate rate than that of the general population. In fact, eight million deaths worldwide can be connected to the disorder.

Embracing the importance of establishing a strong culture of patient safety is critical to every healthcare organization’s long-term success. Whether it’s through adopting new technology or fostering open communication, every strategy must be designed to deliver high-quality care and a safe practicing environment.

Hiring the most-qualified healthcare providers is a complex task since you can't rely solely on test scores and certifications. The criteria for employees who provide direct personal care to vulnerable patients include "soft skills" as well as appropriate training and licensure. Here's an overview of the intangible -- but crucial -- interpersonal abilities that you must screen for in every applicant for a healthcare position.

Company culture is the foundation on which an organization is built. Regardless of its size, culture drives motivation and engagement and supports a company’s overall strategy toward success.

The competency to engage patients in their care is a major component to a healthcare organization’s long-term success. Regardless of how you feel about Meaningful Use or the Affordable Care Act, it’s critical to understand the success of these new models is conditional on two important measurements: patient satisfaction and care outcomes. Research has shown that the more engaged a patient is in their care, the better outcomes they will achieve. So today, it’s no surprise that many healthcare employers have turned their focus onto promoting engagement to deliver better care.

If you’ve noticed people walking around your neighborhood or local coffee shop staring fanatically at their smartphones, don’t be alarmed—they’re probably just hunting Pokémon, fictional characters from Nintendo’s popular Japanese video game.

Earlier this month, Nintendo took the world by storm when it launched a free augmented reality (AR) app called Pokémon GO. The app uses a phone’s GPS to inform players of a Pokémon’s location and uses the device’s camera to overlay characters from the game onto scenes from the real world.

As healthcare continues to face big changes, healthcare risk managers must stay current to ensure their organizations are protected. That will be a priority during Healthcare Risk Management Week, June 20-24.

A patient-centered culture is one that "honors and responds to individual patient preferences, needs, values and goals," according to The Permanente Journal. When you hire for positions in healthcare organizations, best practices dictate a conscious recruiting process, focused on selecting those candidates who will contribute to a patient-centered culture. Below are some tips about why this is important and how to go about hiring the right people.

Patient safety is the backbone of healthcare. Every action must keep the patient’s safety in mind. Yet, because healthcare organizations are staffed by human beings, mistakes will still happen. The Joint Commission’s latest safety goals seem straightforward and include steps such as using two ways to identify every patient, identifying risks such as suicide, and following established, proven procedures for hand-washing, catheterization and other infection preventions.

Does your healthcare organization have an engaged team? Employee engagement is an important initiative for healthcare HR. So important, in fact, that it’s this year’s theme for the American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration (ASHHRA) Annual Conference. However, what makes employee engagement so important for HR?