Did you know that 9th Is December celebrated worldwide as World Patient Safety Day? According to a WHO report, almost one in ten patients are harmed and more than 3 million deaths occur each year due to unsafe care. Therefore, our medical system must commit to improving and prioritizing patient safety in its operations.
As this is a major problem in both developing and developed countries, medical organizations should consider partnering with a contract research organization for assistance in medical research. This article explains how appropriate research can help advance patient safety practices.
What does patient safety refer to?
Most of us view hospitals as safe, but there are still many risks associated with medical errors and potential infections. Unsafe care and errors are one of the leading causes of patient death worldwide. Patient safety includes improving healthcare practices to reduce the risk of errors, infections or injuries. It aims to protect patients from preventable and accidental accidents during treatment.
Health workers, hospitals, clinics and medical associations must work together to ensure that a patient's health is not compromised due to negligent or ineffective procedures. Contract research organization (CRO) helps organizations train their staff and effectively use technology to improve overall patient safety.
How does medical research help improve patient safety?
There is no single magic pill that can make things better, but with proper research, steps can be taken to improve patient safety:
Identify risks with better monitoring technology
Staff must care for multiple patients at the same time, each of whom requires different medications and support. With improved monitoring systems, doctors and nurses can keep an eye on patients and ensure they are receiving the appropriate treatment.
This also helps identify risks quickly and mitigate them immediately. Bed alarms notify workers if a patient needs help, barcodes can check which medications a patient needs to take, and more. Staff can be sure that all treatments, medications, devices, procedures, etc. are safe. take place correctly.
Verification of medical procedures
Have you heard the horror story of a patient who had a left knee replacement when it was the right knee that needed to be replaced? Through research, organizations can implement verification processes to verify medical procedures and prevent human error.
One example is the Universal Verification Protocol. It states that a surgeon can request a time out and verify that they have the correct details and instructions regarding the operation. Additionally, healthcare organizations can verify prescriptions, medical dosages, and other critical items.
Improve clinical practices
Usually, research helps organizations improve and refine their clinical practices, thereby leading to better patient safety. They can use evidence-based procedures that contribute to accurate diagnosis and improve treatment outcomes.
Staff must know how to best collaborate so they can respond quickly to any patient needs or emergencies. It is also essential to learn from clinical trials, past mistakes and mistakes made, so that no calamity happens again.
Patient Education and Engagement
CRO promote research that leads to patient education and engagement related to their treatment. Yes, healthcare workers have a major responsibility, but when patients understand their healthcare procedure, they can even avoid human errors and errors.
Patients do not need to have high-level knowledge, but they should have basic knowledge about their treatment and the potential risks they may face. A simple way is to ask patients to remember what the doctor told them. Well-informed patients actively participate in treatment and remain vigilant.
Collaboration between different disciplines
There is no need to limit patient safety and treatment to a particular department within a healthcare facility. Physicians and physicians from different disciplines can partner and work together to provide innovative medical procedures and treatment options. Even scientists, doctors, engineers, stakeholders, etc. can join forces to research and develop modern ways to improve patient safety.
The results of studies and the data generated by research are really useful for improving health services. Doctors and physicians can use evidence-based facts, medical trials, and other findings to improve patient care and safety. Continuous learning and research are essential to adapt to new technologies and meet new challenges in healthcare.
Conclusion
In the article above, we learned that patients face many different risks from infections, errors, etc. when they undergo treatment in a health institute. By partnering with a contract research organization, organizations can use scientific expertise and tailored solutions to improve their patient safety practices.
Medical research helps monitor and identify risks, improve clinical practices, verify medical procedures, educate patients and much more. Health workers as well as the government should promote the importance of patient safety so that no one is harmed due to negligence or human errors during their treatment.