| Patient Safety is a Major Focus at Little Company of Mary |
Posted: January 17, 2002 |
Torrance, CA � Little Company of Mary, a member of Providence Health System, continues to improve and revise its patient safety standards to significantly reduce the chances of medical errors within its hospitals (Little Company of Mary Hospital in Torrance and Little Company of Mary-San Pedro Hospital in San Pedro) and other health care facilities.
The results of these efforts have included: continually improving management of patients� medications; fewer accidental falls by patients; a reduction in patient restraints; a lower risk of pressure ulcers (bed sores) in patients and better management of a patient�s pain. Little Company of Mary continuously reviews and evaluates clinical practices using an evidence-based approach to ensure that they are consistent with best clinical and safety practices.
Consequently, Little Company of Mary has chosen to not participate in the Leapfrog Group�s survey of hospital safety standards that was released to the media today. According to Vicky Ryan, CPHQ, Vice President of Performance Improvement and Outcomes for Little Company of Mary, �Patient safety has always been our highest priority, with our commitment to continuously improve the clinical outcomes of our patients and to reduce variation and errors in how we care for them. We felt that the way in which the Leapfrog survey was designed did not afford our organization the opportunity to present an accurate picture regarding our efforts to improve patient safety. The survey allowed for only �yes� or �no� answers, with no opportunity for explanation. As indicated by the results of the government�s Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) research, which identified the top patient safety practices, the Leapfrog standards are not the only way in which an organization can achieve improved patient safety. We believe that responding to the Leapfrog survey as it was designed may lead the consumer to believe that an organization is not concerned about safety and has no initiatives in place to improve patient safety. Although the Leapfrog standards are important, they are not the only practices that constitute effective patient safety measures.�
A team of physicians, hospital administrators and clinical staff are constantly reviewing Little Company of Mary�s policies. Among the results of implementing risk reduction strategies are the following:
� Efforts were stepped up in 2002 and 2001 to report any variances between the actual prescription of a medication and what was actually provided. The result of this focus has allowed nurses and staff to improve the management of medications. Our policies include: pharmacists monitor prescriptions and therapeutic levels of medications and contact the physician when indicated; drug prescriptions written by physicians are reviewed by a pharmacist before being dispensed; the majority of drug orders are entered into the computer by a pharmacist, rather than other non-licensed support staff. Little Company of Mary Hospital in Torrance and Little Company of Mary-San Pedro Hospital in San Pedro are implementing a Computer Physician Order Entry (CPOE) pilot program this year that will fully automate the medication ordering process, thereby reducing potential errors due to poor handwriting.
� Our restraint reduction program reduces the possibility of patients injuring themselves by resisting restraints. All patients are assessed to determine their risk of falling.
� Patients are assessed on the risk of developing pressure ulcers (bed sores) and special beds and mattresses (when medically indicated) are available for those patients who are at highest risk of getting bed sores.
� Nurses and other clinical staff members receive additional training on pain management and interdisciplinary pain management committees have been established.
� A proactive infant abduction prevention plan includes infant alarm bands and a specialized surveillance system.
The complete Little Company of Mary Patient Safety Program is available in a special �white paper� online at the Little Company of Mary Web site: www.lcmweb/org/patientsafety. If you would like a hard copy of this report, please phone (310) 793-8149.
Little Company of Mary, a member of Providence Health System, is a not-for-profit, integrated health care system comprised of more than 30 health care sites throughout the greater South Bay, Harbor and Palos Verdes Peninsula communities of Southern California.
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