Communication Breakdowns During the Discharge Process: A Threat to Patient Safety
The patient discharge process is a well-known area of concern for patient safety and liability. The Medical Professional Liability Association (MPL) recently published an article addressing the issue and providing some process improvement strategies.
The MPL article states that poor communication during patient discharge — whether among healthcare providers, between healthcare providers and patients, or in medication reconciliation — poses a significant threat to patient safety and is a source of liability. It highlights how incomplete, rushed, or poorly coordinated discharge processes can lead to confusion, medication errors, readmissions, or even serious harm. Read the article for more insights.
Medical Mutual has a Practice Tip on Handoff Communication.
This article falls under Clinical/Patient Safety in the Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) risk domains.
Clinical/Patient Safety
Risks associated with the delivery of care to residents, patients and other healthcare customers. Clinical risks include: failure to follow evidence based practice, medication errors, hospital acquired conditions (HAC), serious safety events (SSE), and others.