Revised Patient Safety White Paper Released

NCCHC has released an update of a 2016 white paper on patient safety written and revised by Marc Stern, MD, MPH. The paper is available for download at no charge on the NCCHC website.

“While patient safety is a relatively new science, there is a strong body of evidence-based practices. Anyone responsible for the wellbeing of incarcerated patients has an absolute mandate to be concerned with patient safety, and that starts at the top,” says Dr. Stern. In the paper, Dr. Stern identifies 16 specific steps to prevent problems before they occur, three steps for increasing safety after an adverse event, and six important institutional changes.  He discusses the dangers of using temporary employees and delegating patient safety outside of the executive suite. “With today’s widespread staffing shortages, we run a higher risk of errors that can affect patients’ lives. It’s imperative to put measures in place that support staff and reduce problems caused by faulty systems.”

Dr. Stern provides a recommended reading list and applies correctional health care patient safety standards to the NCCHC 2018 Standards for Health Services in Jails/Prisons. Patient safety is specifically addressed in standard B-08 and impacted by at least 13 other standards.