Assessment Description
The purpose of this assignment is to analyze a health care risk management program.
Conduct research on approaches to risk management processes, policies, and concerns in your current or anticipated professional arena to find an example of a risk management plan. Look for a plan with sufficient content to be able to complete this assignment successfully. In a 1,000â€1,250-word paper, provide an analysis of the risk management plan that includes the following:
Summary of the type of risk management plan you selected (new employee, specific audience, communityâ€focused, etc.) and your rationale for selecting that example. Describe the health care organization to which the plan applies and the role risk management plays in that setting.
Description of the standard administrative steps and processes in a typical health care organization\’s risk management program compared to the administrative steps and processes you identify in your selected example plan. (Note: For standard risk management policies and procedures, look up the MIPPA-approved accrediting body that regulates the risk management standards in your chosen health care sector, and consider federal, state, and local statutes as well.)
Analysis of the key agencies and organizations that regulate the administration of safe health care in your area of concentration and an evaluation of the roles each one plays in the risk management oversight process.
Evaluation of your selected risk management plan\’s compliance with the standards of its corresponding MIPPA-approved accrediting body relevant to privacy, health care worker safety, and patient safety.
Proposed recommendations or changes you would implement in your risk management program example to enhance, improve, or secure the aforementioned compliance standards.
In addition to your textbook, you are required to support your analysis with a minimum of three peerâ€reviewed references.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA 7TH edition Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance.
Benchmark Information
This benchmark assignment assesses the following programmatic competency:
BS Health Sciences
3.2 Discuss compliance with risk management protocol.
Risk Management Program Analysis
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Risk Management Program Analysis
Introduction
Risk management in healthcare is very important to both the patient and the provider. Risk is anything that may lead to an unexpected loss. Therefore, risk management is the process of analyzing practices and processes, identifying risk factors, and developing and implementing procedures for addressing the risks (Boyle, 2019). Traditionally, risk management in health care focused on the safety of patients within the facility, however, it has become more complex over time. Today, healthcare risk management can focus on employees, specific audiences, and the community. Therefore, risk managers are trained to address different issues in multiple settings. Falls are some of the health concerns worth the attention of risk managers (Allen-Duck et al., 2017). The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is cognizant of falls as a risky occurrence and provides recommendations for dealing with falls within the community. In that regard, this paper summarizes the risk management plan as required for the completion of the assignment.
Summary of the Type of Risk Management Plan selected and Rationale
The selected type of risk management plan is a community-focused one meant to reduce the risk of falls in the geriatric population within the community. The fall prevention and reduction program are called CAPABLE (Community Aging in Place – Advancing Better Living for Elders) (RHIhub, 2021). The risk management is delivered for five months at home to older adults within the community to reduce fall risks, improve daily functions, and enhance mobility. Prevention is better than cure, hence, the best approach to addressing the problem (Allen-Duck et al., 2017). The primary reason for selecting the risk management plan is that falls can cause a major threat to the life of older patients. Falls can compromise the health and independence of the geriatric population (Zhao et al., 2019). Furthermore, falls are marked as the leading cause of injuries among older people, both at the hospital and the community levels (Zhao et al., 2019). However, falls are preventable, and programs such as the selected one provide effective ways to avoid the problem.
Standard Administrative Steps and Processes
In a typical health care organization’s risk management program, the standard administrative steps and processes include five stages such as determining the context, identifying the risks, analysis of the risks, evaluating, and management of the risks (Boyle, 2019). Determining the context requires care providers to mark high-priority areas within the community that require risk management. The second stage is to be cognizant of the risk and ascertain that it exists. Risk analysis comes third, which includes identifying the risk level, primary causes, and possible solutions. Risk evaluation involves prioritizing risks based on the severity of the risk (Boyle, 2019). The final stage is to implement the appropriate measures to reduce the identified risk from occurring. These guidelines are similar to those provided by the Federal and several state governments.
The selected risk management plan conforms to these steps. After risk analysis, the interventions are delivered by an occupational therapist, who is supposed to make six visits to every participant. There is also a nurse who makes four visits (RHIhub, 2021). There is a handyman who does repairs, home modifications, and installation of assistive devices. Through brainstorming processes, the providers develop efficacy skills to address any challenges that may come up after the risk management program has ended.
Key Agencies and Organizations
Several regulatory agencies are involved in the provision of health risk management. These regulatory agencies include the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the Healthcare Quality Promotion (DHQP), and the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) (Boyle, 2019). The JCAHO ensures that healthcare organizations provide safe and quality healthcare services to patients. The AHRQ conducts research aimed to improve the safety and quality of health care services. NCQA helps in evaluating the quality of health care organizations to improve safety and positive patient outcomes. The Healthcare Quality Promotion (DHQP) aims to protect patients and health professionals, as well as, promote safe and quality healthcare services (Boyle, 2019). Therefore, each of the organizations has a special role to play in patient risk management.
Evaluation of the Risk Management Plan’s Compliance
The risk management plan coincides with the requirements of the Joint Commission, which promotes the need for continuous improvement of safety and quality of health care. The risk management program also conforms to the requirements of the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (DHQP) protects patients and improves safety (Boyle, 2019). The Joint Commission has a significant role in preventing falls among patients. The organization has been, for a long time, committed to preventing and reducing patient falls and associated injuries. The program helps improve awareness of falls among the geriatric population and establish proper actions to prevent the problems. The risk management program aims to help older people stay home safely without the risk of falling (RHIhub, 2021). In compliance with the organizations and the national statutes, risk management aims to prevent and reduce falls and related injuries by implementing proper preventive measures.
Proposed Recommendations
The risk management program does not include patient education. This aspect should be included in the risk management program. Patient education is essential and should supplement home modifications and environmental changes (Zhao et al., 2019). Older patients will be safer when they have skills and awareness of falls and preventive measures. The Joint Commission supports patient education to raise awareness about fall risk and preventive measures. Another recommendation is for the extension of the delivery period. The program duration should be extended to at least six months but one year is good to create enough time to educate the patient while performing other normal activities related to the home modification. The third recommendation is the use of standardized and validated tools when identifying risk factors for falls in the community (Boyle, 2019). These recommendations will improve the risk management program to achieve more positive patient outcomes.
Conclusion
Risk management in healthcare helps in proving the safety of patients and the community. The process of risk management includes analyzing practices and processes, identifying risk factors, and developing and implementing procedures for addressing the risks. Agencies involved in risk management regulation include the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the Healthcare Quality Promotion (DHQP), and the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). The risk management plan is compliant with the requirements of the Joint Commission. The risk management plan needs a slight adjustment as stated in the recommendations.
References
Allen-Duck, A., Robinson, J. C., & Stewart, M. W. (2017). Healthcare Quality: A Concept Analysis. Nursing Forum, 52(4), 377–386. https://doi.org/10.1111/nuf.12207.
Boyle, T. (2019). Health and safety: Risk management. Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group.
RHIhub. (2021). CAPABLE (Community Aging in Place—Advancing Better Living for Elders). https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/project-examples/1064
Zhao, Y. L., Bott, M., He, J., Kim, H., Park, S. H., & Dunton, N. (2019). Evidence on fall and injurious fall prevention interventions in acute care hospitals. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 49(2), 86-92. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNA.0000000000000715