Q&A: Risk reduction strategies to demonstrate compliance (part III)
Q: What is the basic model for conducting a risk assessment?
A: When conducting a basic risk assessment, there are several elements of focus. These include an assessment of the valuables that need to be preserved or protected, identification of any threats that might be present or possible, identification of any potential areas of vulnerability or loss, and identification of the controls currently in place. The primary goal is to identify the probability of risk.
Let’s examine the components of a potential risk assessment using a blank warmer example outline:
- Develop your position on the issue: Take a stance and monitor your position to see if it meets your and your patients’ needs. In the sample case, placing fluid in the warming cabinet was prohibited due to the risks it presented to the patient.
- Note approvals for the practice: Determine who – what leader or what committee – is in the best position to provide advice or oversight. In the scenario of the blanket warmer, you’d want to make sure the safety committee and perioperative committee review your analysis, as well as someone from a leadership perspective.
Once you have conducted the analysis, presented it for review by the key stakeholders, and obtained approvals, the risk assessment should be valid and won’t need to be reviewed unless there is a change in one of the criteria examined. This would include regulatory changes, a change in manufactures, or a published article by an authority that would alter your practice. You can use the same process for other issues, such as fluid warmers, falls assessments, medication security, etc.