Enforcing proof-based and best practice actuation is paramount for patient safety and cost reduction in the healthcare environment. Studies have discovered some practical approaches that both increase safety and ensure resource use is wisely invested.
Standardized protocols and clinical guidelines have gained popularity because they promote standardized delivery of care, which improves patient safety by reducing the variability in care and creating a uniform system. For example, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) promotes the use of standardized protocols with respect to the administration of drugs, provision of hand hygiene, and procedures such as surgeries to attain uniformity and minimize the number of errors (Institute for Healthcare Improvement) (Kohn et al., 2022). Strictly adhering to evidence-based processes helps reduce risks connected with the implementation of unproven, non-recommended procedures and thus allows better patient care while decreasing costs due to adverse events.
Collaboration and teamwork among healthcare professionals in dealing with health and safety issues assist in the expansion of communication networks, increase the coordination of care, and improve the culture of safety. The studies have confirmed that the elements of teamwork and appropriate communication are precisely needed to avoid patient errors and enhance safety (Salas et al., 2022). For example, ward rounds may be used to facilitate the communication and sharing of information, the making of collaborative decisions, and problem-solving. These may lead to more comprehensive patient evaluations with fewer adverse events. Collaborative practice is a vital element and the source of better resource allocation and prevention of every possible mistake, which maximizes healthcare organizations’ costs.
Technology platforms, comprising of electrical health records(EHRs) and decision support systems, can significantly leverage patient safety by having real-time access to patient data, clinical guideline sets, and decision-making. According to the systematic study of the efficacy of the decision-support system performed by (Kilsdonk et al. 2020), the level of safety and quality is increased when these decision-support systems are used, thus reducing medication errors and adverse drug events. Apart from that, the incorporation of barcode medication administration systems and electronic prescribing abilities facilitates favorable safety of medication and cuts down medical errors and related adverse events costs (Poon et al., 2020).
Through collaborative care and management, nurses and caretakers can contribute primarily to increasing patient safety and cutting costs in healthcare systems. They amplify the voices of patients without their ability to express their desires. Diagnosis errors, for example, should not be ignored, and nurses can play a vital part by talking to the doctors and caregivers to confirm that the information about their patients is always passed clearly (Kwame & Petrucka, 2020). Nurses provide the clinical support necessary for the effective detection and prevention of diagnostic errors through their role in pushing for timely assessments and prompt interventions. This is done primarily by ensuring that early detection and minimizing the economic costs that come with inappropriate or delayed diagnoses are aided, hence better patient safety.
As coordinators of work duties among different departments and healthcare sites, nurses try to ensure continuity of service to patients. In the process of diagnostic errors, nurses can be one of the ways to help make the smooth transition between inpatient facility and outpatient clinic to avoid delays such that diagnostic test findings are always communicated to the appropriate healthcare providers (Patterson et al., 2020). This is done by arranging follow-up appointments, monitoring patients’ progress, and facilitating communication between healthcare professionals. The nurses help to fill the gap in care and consequently reduce the opportunities for diagnostic errors that would lead to increased healthcare costs and give no results in our community.
Nursing practice as an educator is one facet that nurses play a very significant role in. They emphasize clarity about the various aspects of the health of patients, treatment options, and as much as can be done by a patient to be actively involved in their healthcare journey. With regards to diagnostic misinterpretations, nurses may instruct the patients on the necessity of obtaining a second opinion, questioning diagnostical results and the treatment plan, and asserting their healthcare issues (Benbassat, 2019). By educating patie
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