Speak Up: An Award-Winning Initiative for Patient Safety - Essay Sample

Introduction

‘Speak Up’ is an award-winning initiative developed by The Joint Commission. The program was launched in 2018 to promote safety for patients and achieve the national goals of ensuring patients’ safety. The program assists patients to get more involved in their safety by informing them of their rights and the significant responsibilities they have concerning their issues of health (The Joint Commission, 2018). The initiatives give more emphasis to patients and their caregivers, and it taps their concerns and feedback in receiving healthcare services. It gives them the voice to demand quality and transparent services since they are involved in the decision-making process.

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Summary

Communication between healthcare professionals and patients is essential. Initially, the health of a patient was the doctor's and nurses' full responsibilities. Things are different, for example, the ‘Speak Up’ program gives guidelines for patients to be more involved in the process of attaining wellness and regaining full capability in the treatment of illness. It encourages caregivers to follow up on the health progress of their patients. Through the initiative, patients proactively take charge of the health issues without appearing to be bossing the health practitioners.

Understanding one’s health and treatment decrease the nervousness in patients as they receive care. Speaking about and to the doctor clears all doubts about the kind of treatment one receives. On vital decisions such as prescribed drugs, a patient has to ask for the safety of the use of medicines. In case the patient is using other medications or has other underlined condition or to understand the outcome of treatment and prescriptions and to understand the possible side effects.

Evaluation

Patient and family engagement is a key factor in ensuring a patient’s safety. According to the recent healthcare research conducted amid the coronavirus pandemic, hospitals must develop creative techniques that promote a culture of patient and family engagement(Hetland, Lindroth, Guttormson & Chlan, 2020). According to Hetland et al. (2020) it is essential to develop research policies for critical care in health centers. These policies will ensure there are minimal cases of isolation of patients that have been infected by the deadly virus. Hetland et al. (2020) further observed that apart from adopting evidence-based practices and ensuring individualized patient care, progress can be achieved when the clinicians, patients, and families are engaged in the healing process. Although this measure seems impossible for the rising rates of covid-19 infection has forced the government to come up with a stay at home order where the patients are left to the full care of physicians. This research calls for hospitals to advance into cohesive communication measures where information is disseminated to caregivers and patients as the health practitioners implement it. Such measures will make health care transparent and more effective.

According to Ulrich and Kear (2014), nothing can be accomplished concerning health when a patient does not feel secured. Davis et al. (2014), observed there is a rise in mortality rates in healthcare institutions than at home. Many lives are lost in the hospitals as a result of medical errors, infections contaminated in the hospital, and unnecessary surgical mistakes (Davis et al., 2014). These observations led to the conclusion that poor communication, due to lack of engagement to the matters of health by caregivers and patients, is the cause of such cases. Involvement of patients and caregivers enables physicians to assess patients, develop the right health service at the appropriate time.

The ‘Speak Up About Your Care’ video captures ways in which the patients and caregivers can speak, listen attentively. Express their concerns, ask where information is not clear, and learn about their healthcare needs. Communication in health organizations is crucial to all people, and the information in this video can be helpful to all. The topic is interesting since everyone is made aware of their rights and responsibilities. It also removes fear from the uneducated people who often shy away from enquiring information from their health practitioners. However, the video captures only patients and leaves out the health professions’ concerns to patients’ achieving their safety. And, although it adheres to the recent research guidelines for healthcare systems, it fails to acknowledge the patients' full responsibility to adhering to their self-care outside of the hospital. More concern is given to the responsibilities and rights of patients at the hospital than the individual responsibilities to ensuring their wellbeing.

Conclusion

Speaking up about one’s healthcare concerns is key to maintaining health standards. Achieving patient safety goals is the backbone for the development of the ‘Speak Up’ program. The initiative enables the achievement of national objectives. It also aligns with recent medical research by offering a platform where caregivers and patients learn about the importance of their inputs to their health. It agrees with recent researches that patients are core to developments of healthcare organizations and need quality treatment through a constant flow of information between patients, families, and health practitioners.

For mistreated patients or caregivers in the healthcare institutions, it gives them a voice. And for others who previously thought their wellness is the doctor’s sole responsibility, start to take charge of their health. Speaking out about care helps to reduce mortality rates in hospitals since physicians get to know and understand their patients’ needs and concerns. This discovery enables them to give proper and quality medical care to them. Therefore, communication is the solution to achieving individual patient safety in healthcare.

References

Davis, C., Lockhart, L., Landon, D., & Henry, D. (2014). Let's talk about safety! The 2014 hospital National Patient Safety Goals. Nursing made Incredibly Easy, 12(2), 36-43. https://journals.lww.com/nursingmadeincrediblyeasy/fulltext/2014/03000/Let_s_talk_about_safety__The_2014_hospital.8.aspx

Hetland, B., Lindroth, H., Guttormson, J., & Chlan, L. L. (2020). 2020-The Year that needed the nurse: Considerations for critical care nursing research and practice emerging in the midst of COVID-19. Heart & Lung: The Journal of Cardiopulmonary and Acute Care, 49(4), 342-343. https://www.heartandlung.org/article/S0147-9563(20)30161-8/pdf

The Joint Commission. (2018, May 4). Speak up: About your care. Leading the Way to Zero | The Joint Commission. Retrieved July 31, 2020, from https://www.jointcommission.org/en/resources/news-and-multimedia/video-resources/speak-up-about-your-care/

Ulrich, B., & Kear, T. (2014). Patient Safety and Patient Safety Culture: Foundations of Excellent Health Care Delivery. Nephrology Nursing Journal, 41(5). https://www.yourhomeworksolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/edd/2020/01/tamara.pdf