Risk Reduction Strategies
to maintain compliance and minimize any risk that might be identified. Demonstrating to the survey team that your organization has given thoughtful consideration to issues that may present risks to the patient and to the patient care process is an important aspect of the survey.
A basic risk assessment is a process to proactively evaluate the potential for adverse impacts associated with systems and processes, both internal and external to the organization, and related to patients, staff, visitors, and others with regard to patient care and safety or as required by law or regulation.
Conducting a basic risk assessment would likely include the following (or a variation of the following) steps:
1. Identify the issue
2. Identify arguments in support of the issue
3. Identify arguments against the issue
4. Evaluate both arguments
5. Come to a conclusion
6. Document the process
7. Monitor the conclusion to ensure that it is correct
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.
issue.
The following are the required Joint Commission risk-assessment topics:
• Suicide
• Safety and security: Violence in the workplace
• Infection control (IC) program
• IC: Multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO)
• IC: Construction and renovation projects
• Falls: Assessment and prevention program
• Fire/life safety
Additional topics to consider are hospital-specific:
• Issues based on patient population, community, etc.
• Identification of inconsistent practice
• Lack of clear decision or consensus related to practice or issue
• Methods for assessing compliance and avoiding requirements for improvement
A risk assessment can be a valuable tool when you want to ensure that your organization has reviewed and supports the position that has been taken on a specific issue. Risk assessments are also helpful when a standard requires them or when you have a unique or organization-specific approach that might not be fully documented in the literature or used frequently in other healthcare organizations. The best way to position your organization is to conduct a review of your process before the issue is raised in a survey.
This is an excerpt from The Survey Coordinator’s Handbook 17th Edition. The book covers all the topics needed to prepare for, survive, and respond to a hospital survey. For more information or to order, please visit HCPro Marketplace.