Article
Impact of accreditation and digitalisation on patients’ safety
Einfluss von Zertifizierungen und Digitalisierung auf die Patientensicherheit
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Published: | June 4, 2021 |
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Objective: Accreditation and digitalization are common tools to improve the efficacy of processes in clinical routine. The aim of this study was to elucidate, whether measures for quality management and digitalization have the ability to reduce treatment risks of patients in a surgical clinic.
Methods: All involved employees in patient treatment were asked for a systematic, process orientated and anonym survey to assess the probability of occurrence of 69 treatment risks during the stationary treatment of patients. Those possible risks were defined by a project team consisting of representatives of every occupation group involved in patient care. This survey was done before a quality management and digitalization were introduced in 2006 and latest, after various accreditations were performed and the digitalization was completed.
Results: Regarding the results of this survey, although the number of surgeries was increased by 1.8-fold, while the number of employees increased only by 1.2fold to 1.4fold, the probability of occurrence of 20 treatment risks could be significantly reduced. The pronounced risk reduction was described for mistaken identity of patients, while complex process risks like deficient postoperative aftercare or dissatisfaction of patients due to deficient communication were unchanged.
Conclusion: Possibly increased process risks due to increased workload can be compensated with measures for quality management and digitalization. This requires a quality and risk management that is organized by the administration and carried by responsible and risk-aware employees without compulsion. Digitalization and measures of quality management have the ability to reduce patients’ treatment risk and to compensate an increased workload. Particularly, accreditations are helpful to sustain and push measures for quality management.