Wednesday, April 21, 2010

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Inter-professional Team Communication as an Aspect of Patient Safety

Our nation [the United States] is said to have one of the best healthcare systems in the world; why then do we see so much controversy surround this subject? The reasons are varied, but they all converge at one point – this trillion dollar industry is being talked about because no matter how much money is pumped into it, it seems that healthcare is becoming more expensive and less accessible as the years go by. What with the insurance companies taking center-stage and deciding who should be treated and what diseases they’re allowed to be treated for, healthcare is no longer focused on the patient and what they need. Rather, it’s all about how the insurance company can make the most money, and patient safety and care fall by the wayside.

Nothing concrete is being done to reduce medical errors and improve patient safety – people are more likely to contract illnesses in hospitals than out of them, and because doctors and nurses are overworked, they are more prone to errors that lead to further medical complications and even death. Patient safety can be improved considerably when medical professionals work as a team and communicate effectively while providing patient care.

When a patient is referred from one doctor to another for further treatment or a second opinion, it is imperative that there be effective communication between both teams; for example, when a family physician refers his/her patient to a specialist surgeon, patient records and history must be transferred and communicated accurately so that essential medication is not inadvertently left out, double dosages are avoided, and drug allergies are duly noted. Effective communication is also essential for post-operative care when the patient is recuperating and is under the care of his/her family physician. Patient records must be duly updated and instructions followed to the letter.

When there is a breakdown in communication between medical teams or if the communication is misinterpreted or not efficient, it is the patient who suffers the most. He or she is shortchanged of the treatment they deserve and need in order to get back to normal health. In this day of computerized communication and electronic records, it is easy enough to transfer information effectively. The weak link in the chain of communication is the human factor – if medical personnel are tired, overworked or just negligent, errors are prone to occur and even the best communication efforts go awry. So for patient safety to improve, it is essential that communication between medical professionals be at the highest level.

This guest article is written by Teresa Jackson, she writes on the subject of OnlineNursePractitionerSchools . She invites your questions, comments at her email address : teresa.jackson19@gmail.com

Thursday, April 1, 2010

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