7 ways to make patient safety a priority for your facility

It needs to be a group effort. Patient safety doesn’t rely on any one healthcare provider or department. Everyone in your facility is responsible for patient safety. 

Here are 7 ways to make patient safety a priority in 2021 and beyond:

1. Create a safety and health management system: Create guidelines for safety and health at your facility. When possible include representative managers and employees in your decision-making process. Regular reviews of your system should be scheduled so you can adjust your policies to ensure you are achieving your desired outcomes.
2. Create a rapid response system: We know prevention is key in healthcare. When you develop a rapid response system to follow, you’re creating a process around patient care to help spot early signs of deterioration.
3. Communicate health and safety protocols: Make sure every member of your team knows their role in patient safety. Make it part of new employee orientation programs. Within these trainings, ensure that it’s clear how they can report issues and non-compliance safely. 
4. Create a safety compliance plan: Having a written plan helps the team better understand and comply with safety protocols. Ensure you have a detailed safety compliance plan to keep your patients safe and to help build trust in the community that you are a responsible organization.
5. Implement patient-centred care: Ensure your policies, in addition to treating your patients, keep them safe with patient-centred practices.  
6. Communicate with patients: As appropriate, share your safety plans with your patients and/or their family caregivers. It helps aid in their recovery because they play a more active role by staying informed and knowing what to do in an emergency. 
7. Check building design: We sometimes forget that the safety of the physical building is important too. Make sure that it’s in good working condition and that any safety signage is clearly visible and readable. 

The eyes of your community are still on healthcare facilities, especially those in long-term care homes. In 2021 the more you can do you keep your community and patients safe, the happier and healthier your patients will be. 

Another way to help keep your patients safe and healthy is to ensure they get a good night’s rest on a proper medical-grade mattress. Learn more about how mattresses from Essential Medical Products can help.