Week 2 Discussion Questions: Risk Management Policies and Root-Cause Analysis
Instructions:
Response to each question is approximately 250-500 words with 1 or 2 references
Follow the links below to access other assignment solutions for this course
Week 1 Assignment: Elements of a Risk Management Program
Week 2 Assignment: Risk Management Assessment
Week 4 Assignment: Organizational Risk Management Interview
Week 2 Discussion Question 1:
Review your organization’s risk management policies as they relate to the Americans With Disabilities Act and workers’ compensation. What is the process for reporting an incident? If there is not a policy, detail how you would go about getting a policy developed and approved within your organization or any health care organization. Provide one peer-reviewed reference to support your response.
Week 2 Discussion Question 2:
Describe the purpose of a root-cause analysis. Discuss an example of any issue that would necessitate a root-cause analysis. You may use an incident from a referenced article, textbook, or personal experience. Support your analysis with one peer-reviewed reference. Identify the actions that would need to be taken to correct the issue.
Solution
Root-Cause Analysis
The root-cause analysis is an analytic tool that uses a structured method for the analysis of adverse events in an organization. The application of RCA in a health care facility plays a significant role in the identification of problems and risks that increase the possibility of errors in health care processes, equipment, and systems. The method minimizes the possibility of focusing on who made what mistake for the failure to occur. According to Hsu (2007), the technique focuses on preventing the recurrence through proximate cause identification and root cause identification. It follows a systematically prescribed format that analyzes the event to identify the errors as they occurred as a result of human interface with the complex system and unveils the problems within the system that contributed to the development of the adverse events. The analysis involves a multidisciplinary team of experts that concentrates on the series of events leading to the occurrence of the error.
For instance, the RCA would be necessary in the case of the failure of a fire pump in a health facility. The RCA team apply the technique to question, analyze, identify the problem, and formulate a possible solution to prevent the recurrence of the adverse event. In doing so, the team must identify why the pump failed to work, whether it was properly tested, if not, determine the reasons for not testing it, whether any problems were identified, and the actions taken after the diagnosis of problems. Moreover, the team must determine whether the engineering unit played its role efficiently, whether the management responded promptly, and the possibility of recurrence (Kavaler & Alexander, 2014). The RCA then must recommend a solution. In the case of a fire pump failure, a team of experts must be given the responsibility to rectify the problem and monitor its operations throughout. However, if the analysis proves that the pump is beyond its useful life, the management must replace it with an efficient one.
Risk Management Policies
Health care organizations adopt and implement different risk management policies to prevent or minimize potential risks that affect the organizations’ development, and the safety and welfare of patients and staff significantly. Most of the policies focus on aligning the processes and organizational systems with patient and worker safety and health promotion. The policies must protect the rights of the patient and staff and alleviate cases of discrimination on whatever basis. In our organization, different policies target to improve the health on the patient while promising the safety and security of the staff and the patients (Niuyun, et al., 2011). Additionally, the policies work towards the alleviation of cases of discrimination on the grounds of race, religion, gender, disability or any other distinguishing feature. On the issue of disabilities, employee, and employer rights, the organization operates in accordance with the American Disabilities Act and Workers’ Compensation.
The organization offers
services and platforms that ensure people with disabilities and ensure the
safety of employees and insurance cover in case of accidents. The services
ensure that employees receive sufficient training on different issues such as proper
use of personal protective equipment and avails a safe work environment (Burkhauser,
Schmeiser, & Weathers II, 2012). Moreover, it offers
employee assistance programs for persons with either physical or psychological
disabilities and ensures supervisor training. These work according to the
existing Workers’ Compensation and the American Disabilities Act guidelines. However,
there is a need to develop an effective reporting platform in case of accidents
or breach of employee rights. To get a policy that allows effective reporting
of such cases, there is a need first to outline its context and goal. Further, there
is a need to formulate the policy procedure and forward it to the management of
the organization. A discussion with the management and the stakeholders would
be necessary. If the policy promotes proficiency and competence thus promising
quality care and patient safety, then the leadership and management should approve
its implementation.
References
Burkhauser, R. V., Schmeiser, M. D., & Weathers II, R. R. (2012). The importance of anti-discrimination and workers’ compensation laws on the provision of workplace accommodations following the onset of a disability. Industrial & Labor Relations Review 65 (1), 161 – 180.
Hsu, T. (2007). Application of root cause analysis in healthcare. Journal of Nursing 54 (6), 77-83.
Kavaler, F., & Alexander, R. S. (2014). Risk management in healthcare institutions : limiting liability and enhancing care (3rd Edition ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Niuyun, S., Li, W., Jun, Z., Qiang, Y., Zongjiu, Z., Youping, L., & Xiaohui, C. (2011). International comparative analyses of healthcare risk management. Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine 4 (1), 22-31. DOI: 10.1111/j.1756-5391.2011.01118.x
