In a hospital, there should be no more important concern than patient safety, and providing patients with the highest quality of care. Among other things, a hospital is responsible for assuring that the physicians, nurses, and other professionals who treat its patients are properly licensed, trained and competent to deal with the patient’s particular medical or mental condition. A hospital is also responsible for assuring that its operations and systems and everything that goes into caring for a patient functions smoothly. Any lapse—whether the wrong medication or dosage, a lack of proper hygiene, inadequate pre- and post-operative care, a failure to monitor vital signs, a misdiagnosis, an impaired professional—could result in injury or death. This in turn usually results in a lawsuit, a Health Department investigation and penalties, bad publicity, and depending upon the facts, even potential criminal prosecution.
As such, a hospital must devote significant resources to what is referred to as “quality assurance,” including having an established, active, and properly staffed Quality Assurance Committee. Quality assurance encompasses not only investigations into incidents or negative outcomes that patients have experienced, but also extensive and ongoing review of everything affecting patient care, and anticipating and preventing problems before they arise.
Protection
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.
To view this content, please continue to their sites.
Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law are third party online distributors of the broad collection of current and archived versions of ALM's legal news publications. LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law customers are able to access and use ALM's content, including content from the National Law Journal, The American Lawyer, Legaltech News, The New York Law Journal, and Corporate Counsel, as well as other sources of legal information.
For questions call 1-877-256-2472 or contact us at [email protected]
