In rural communities, workforce shortages, financial pressures, and other challenges are compounded by geographic isolation and failing healthcare infrastructure. Consequently, lack of access to healthcare becomes a patient safety risk.
Many MRI safety programs focus on events that resulted in actual patient harm, but near misses frequently provide the most valuable information and expose vulnerabilities before someone gets hurt.
Fragmented oversight can affect malpractice exposure, so patient safety leaders need to show, through documentation, communication, escalation, and follow-up, that the organization recognized risk and responded appropriately.
