Feeding Back? Learning from Complaints Handling in Health and Social Care

Feeding Back? Learning from Complaints Handling in Health and Social Care
Author: Great Britain. National Audit Office
Publisher: The Stationery Office
Total Pages: 56
Release: 2008
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 9780102954296

There are currently two separate statutory processes for handling complaints about health and social care services. NHS organisations are accountable to the Department of Health and social care services are accountable through their local authority, whilst adult social care rests with the Department. There are differences in the numbers of stages and timescales involved, and in the arrangements for advocacy support and independent investigation. The Health Service Ombudsman is responsible for the ultimate review and decision on NHS complaints and the Local Government Ombudsman for social care complaints. The NAO is this report (HCP 853, session 2007-08), has undertaken an evaluation of existing performance, capability, capacity and costs of complaints handling in both health and adult social care. The NAO has set out a number of findings and recommendations, including: that where people are dissatisfied, there is a low number who make formal complaints; that navigating the complaints systems is not straightforward, partcularly for health service users; only a small proportion of NHS complainants are aware, or receive national advocacy support; that the culture and attitudes of the organisations are often a barrier to responsive complaint handling; neither the health or social care organisations know the cost of complaints handling; that pursuing a complaint requires considerable time, determination and resilience.

Renegotiating Health Care

Renegotiating Health Care
Author: Leonard J. Marcus
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 514
Release: 2011-06-15
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 1118021576

Renegotiating Health Care Since the first edition of Renegotiating Health Care was published in 1995, new treatments, technologies, business models, reimbursement methods, and regulations have tangibly transformed the substance of health care negotiation. This thoroughly revised and updated edition of Renegotiating Health Care offers a practical guide to negotiation and conflict resolution in the health care field. It explores why unresolved conflict can hamper any organization's ability to make timely, cost-effective decisions and implement new strategies. The book focuses on the complex interactions between those who deliver, receive, administer, and oversee health care. It defines negotiation techniques and conflict resolution approaches that can improve efficiency, quality of care, and patient safety. Renegotiating Health Care outlines strategies and methods to resolve the myriad thorny issues encompassing the health care enterprise. It should be required reading for students and professionals in health services management, clinicians, leaders, policy makers, and conflict resolution experts working in the health care field. Praise for Renegotiating Health Care "An outstanding book! I learned their principles of meta-leadership while at the CDC and continue to use them at ABC News. This book is a must for anyone in leadership: practical, intuitive, and priceless." Richard E. Besser, MD, chief health and medical editor, ABC News "This book is a must-read to assist today's health professional navigate the ever-changing health care delivery system. Leadership will be the key to success." Pat Ford-Roegner, RN, MSW, FAAN, senior health consultant and former CEO, American Academy of Nursing

Therapists Guide To Understanding Common Medical Problems

Therapists Guide To Understanding Common Medical Problems
Author: Andrew Kolbasovsky
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Total Pages: 388
Release: 2008-02-26
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 9780393705355

Everything mental health clinicians need to know about the medical conditions of their patients. People seeking therapy for mental health issues often also have medical problems such as diabetes, AIDS, asthma, or heart conditions. As a therapist, should you ignore the medical conditions that your clients may have, and simply stick to what you’re trained in, healing the mind and not focusing on medical or bodily issues? Or, should you inquire about any medical issues during intake and give them full attention? As a non-medically trained practitioner, how much should you really be expected to know about these issues? These answers and more can be found in this book. Geared specifically to nonmedically trained mental health professionals, it gives practitioners a better understanding of exactly how physical health issues play out in the context of mental health issues, equipping clinicians with the information necessary to more effectively create and manage a comprehensive psychotherapeutic treatment regimen.

Improving Diagnosis in Health Care

Improving Diagnosis in Health Care
Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 473
Release: 2015-12-29
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309377722

Getting the right diagnosis is a key aspect of health care - it provides an explanation of a patient's health problem and informs subsequent health care decisions. The diagnostic process is a complex, collaborative activity that involves clinical reasoning and information gathering to determine a patient's health problem. According to Improving Diagnosis in Health Care, diagnostic errors-inaccurate or delayed diagnoses-persist throughout all settings of care and continue to harm an unacceptable number of patients. It is likely that most people will experience at least one diagnostic error in their lifetime, sometimes with devastating consequences. Diagnostic errors may cause harm to patients by preventing or delaying appropriate treatment, providing unnecessary or harmful treatment, or resulting in psychological or financial repercussions. The committee concluded that improving the diagnostic process is not only possible, but also represents a moral, professional, and public health imperative. Improving Diagnosis in Health Care, a continuation of the landmark Institute of Medicine reports To Err Is Human (2000) and Crossing the Quality Chasm (2001), finds that diagnosis-and, in particular, the occurrence of diagnostic errorsâ€"has been largely unappreciated in efforts to improve the quality and safety of health care. Without a dedicated focus on improving diagnosis, diagnostic errors will likely worsen as the delivery of health care and the diagnostic process continue to increase in complexity. Just as the diagnostic process is a collaborative activity, improving diagnosis will require collaboration and a widespread commitment to change among health care professionals, health care organizations, patients and their families, researchers, and policy makers. The recommendations of Improving Diagnosis in Health Care contribute to the growing momentum for change in this crucial area of health care quality and safety.

Health Professions Education

Health Professions Education
Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 191
Release: 2003-07-01
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 030913319X

The Institute of Medicine study Crossing the Quality Chasm (2001) recommended that an interdisciplinary summit be held to further reform of health professions education in order to enhance quality and patient safety. Health Professions Education: A Bridge to Quality is the follow up to that summit, held in June 2002, where 150 participants across disciplines and occupations developed ideas about how to integrate a core set of competencies into health professions education. These core competencies include patient-centered care, interdisciplinary teams, evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and informatics. This book recommends a mix of approaches to health education improvement, including those related to oversight processes, the training environment, research, public reporting, and leadership. Educators, administrators, and health professionals can use this book to help achieve an approach to education that better prepares clinicians to meet both the needs of patients and the requirements of a changing health care system.

Unequal Treatment

Unequal Treatment
Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 781
Release: 2009-02-06
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 030908265X

Racial and ethnic disparities in health care are known to reflect access to care and other issues that arise from differing socioeconomic conditions. There is, however, increasing evidence that even after such differences are accounted for, race and ethnicity remain significant predictors of the quality of health care received. In Unequal Treatment, a panel of experts documents this evidence and explores how persons of color experience the health care environment. The book examines how disparities in treatment may arise in health care systems and looks at aspects of the clinical encounter that may contribute to such disparities. Patients' and providers' attitudes, expectations, and behavior are analyzed. How to intervene? Unequal Treatment offers recommendations for improvements in medical care financing, allocation of care, availability of language translation, community-based care, and other arenas. The committee highlights the potential of cross-cultural education to improve provider-patient communication and offers a detailed look at how to integrate cross-cultural learning within the health professions. The book concludes with recommendations for data collection and research initiatives. Unequal Treatment will be vitally important to health care policymakers, administrators, providers, educators, and students as well as advocates for people of color.

Fundamentals of U.S. Health Care

Fundamentals of U.S. Health Care
Author: Jahangir Moini
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 472
Release: 2017-04-07
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 1317216768

All health care students must be familiar with the basic concepts of health care in the United States. This introductory textbook presents vital information on health care careers and legal, ethical, financial, and policy issues that will help their future practice. It includes chapters on: careers in the health care profession; the complexity of health care; the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; professionalism in health; health care for special populations; the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards; research and advancements in health care; the future of health care. Fundamentals of U.S. Health Care is unique in the way it highlights the important elements of each health career, including job requirements, length of study, and salaries. With the student in mind, this book is accompanied by a website that features detailed PowerPoints and test banks with more than 1,000 review questions. Well-organized and easily understood, this overview provides a reliable, relevant resource and up-to-date reference. It is essential reading for all allied health students, including nurses, surgical technicians, dental hygienists, radiology technicians, medical assistants, pharmacy technicians, physician assistants, and more.

Applied Problem-Solving in Healthcare Management

Applied Problem-Solving in Healthcare Management
Author: Sandra Potthoff, PhD
Publisher: Springer Publishing Company
Total Pages: 313
Release: 2020-11-05
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0826165656

Note to Readers: Publisher does not guarantee quality or access to any included digital components if book is purchased through a third-party seller. Applied Problem-Solving in Healthcare Management is a practical textbook devoted to developing and strengthening problem-solving and decision-making leadership competencies of healthcare administration students and healthcare management professionals. Built upon the University of Minnesota Master of Healthcare Administration Program’s Problem-Solving Method, the text describes the “never assume” mindset and the structured method that drive evidence-based, action-oriented problem-solving. The “never assume” mindset requires healthcare leaders to understand themselves and their stakeholders, and to engage in waves of divergent and convergent thinking. This structured method guides the problem solver through the phases of defining, studying, and acting on complex interrelated organizational problems that involve multiple root causes. The book also describes how the Problem-Solving Method is complementary to quality improvement methods and can be used in healthcare organizations along with Lean, Design Thinking, and Human Centered Design. Providing step-by-step instruction including useful tips, tools, activities, and case studies, this effective resource demonstrates the utility of the method for all types of health organization settings including health systems, hospitals, clinics, population health, and long-term care. For students taking health management, capstone, and experiential learning courses, including internship and residency projects, this book allows them to test and apply their problem-solving and decision-making skills to real-world situations. Beyond the classroom, it is an indispensable resource for organizations seeking to enhance the problem-solving skills of their workforce. The authors of the text have nearly 75 years of combined experience in healthcare management, leadership, and professional consulting, and teaching and advising healthcare administration students in classrooms, on student capstone, internship and residency projects, and case competitions. Synthesizing their expertise, this text serves as a guide for those who wish to strengthen their problem-solving abilities to systematically identify, analyze, study, and solve pressing organizational challenges in healthcare settings. Key Features: Describes a mindset and a structured problem-solving method that builds leadership competencies Encourages a step-by-step problem-solving approach to define, study, and act on problems to drive action-oriented solutions Supports experiential learning and coaching for students and professionals early in their careers, applicable especially to healthcare management, capstone, and student consulting courses, internship and residency projects, case competitions, and professional development in organizations Compares the Problem-Solving Method to other complementary methods used in many healthcare organizations, including Lean, Design Thinking, and Human Centered Design

To Err Is Human

To Err Is Human
Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 312
Release: 2000-03-01
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309068371

Experts estimate that as many as 98,000 people die in any given year from medical errors that occur in hospitals. That's more than die from motor vehicle accidents, breast cancer, or AIDSâ€"three causes that receive far more public attention. Indeed, more people die annually from medication errors than from workplace injuries. Add the financial cost to the human tragedy, and medical error easily rises to the top ranks of urgent, widespread public problems. To Err Is Human breaks the silence that has surrounded medical errors and their consequenceâ€"but not by pointing fingers at caring health care professionals who make honest mistakes. After all, to err is human. Instead, this book sets forth a national agendaâ€"with state and local implicationsâ€"for reducing medical errors and improving patient safety through the design of a safer health system. This volume reveals the often startling statistics of medical error and the disparity between the incidence of error and public perception of it, given many patients' expectations that the medical profession always performs perfectly. A careful examination is made of how the surrounding forces of legislation, regulation, and market activity influence the quality of care provided by health care organizations and then looks at their handling of medical mistakes. Using a detailed case study, the book reviews the current understanding of why these mistakes happen. A key theme is that legitimate liability concerns discourage reporting of errorsâ€"which begs the question, "How can we learn from our mistakes?" Balancing regulatory versus market-based initiatives and public versus private efforts, the Institute of Medicine presents wide-ranging recommendations for improving patient safety, in the areas of leadership, improved data collection and analysis, and development of effective systems at the level of direct patient care. To Err Is Human asserts that the problem is not bad people in health careâ€"it is that good people are working in bad systems that need to be made safer. Comprehensive and straightforward, this book offers a clear prescription for raising the level of patient safety in American health care. It also explains how patients themselves can influence the quality of care that they receive once they check into the hospital. This book will be vitally important to federal, state, and local health policy makers and regulators, health professional licensing officials, hospital administrators, medical educators and students, health caregivers, health journalists, patient advocatesâ€"as well as patients themselves. First in a series of publications from the Quality of Health Care in America, a project initiated by the Institute of Medicine