Clinical Risk Management: As Modern Tool for Prevention and Management of Care and Prevention Occupational Risk

Clinical Risk Management aims to improve the performance quality of healthcare services through procedures that identify and prevent circumstances that could expose both the patient and the healthcare personnel to risk of an adverse event [...]

From Syndemic Lesson after COVID-19 Pandemic to a “Systemic Clinical Risk Management” Proposal in the Perspective of the Ethics of Job Well Done

The syndemic framework proposed by the 2021–2030 World Health Organization (WHO) action plan for patient safety and the introduction of enabling technologies in health services involve a more effective interpretation of the data to understand causation. Based on the Systemic Theory, this communication proposes the “Systemic Clinical Risk Management” (SCRM) to improve the Quality of Care and Patient Safety. This is a new Clinical Risk Management model capable of developing the ability to observe and synthesize different elements in ways that lead to in-depth interventions to achieve solutions aligned with the sustainable development of health services. In order to avoid uncontrolled decision-making related to the use of enabling technologies, we devised an internal Learning Algorithm Risk Management (LARM) level based on a Bayesian approach. Moreover, according to the ethics of Job Well Done, the SCRM, instead of giving an opinion on events that have already occurred, proposes a bioethical co-working because it suggests the best way to act from a scientific point of view.

Assessment of Recidivism Risk in Sex Offenders: A Pilot Study in Central Italy

Knowing the risk factors of recidivism in sex offenders is important in order to prepare effective preventative interventions and treatment in custody. In this regard, the following paper shows the results of a pilot study carried out in the prisons of central Italy in which 44 sex offenders participated. These participants were given the following tests: Historical Clinical Risk Management-20-version 3 (HCR20v3), Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) and Personal Inventory Dimensional (PID-5). The results show a high positivity in the factors of the sub-scales H (historical factors) and C (clinical factors) of HCR20v3; the average total score of the PCR-L is 16.47, with five subjects who are in the “high psychopathy” range (X ≥ 30); with regard to PID-5, the most positive domain is negative affectivity (56.10%).

Managing clinical risk retrospectively and prospectively with a risk management framework in an acute care hospital in Singapore

Objective: To expound on the implementation of the clinical risk management framework in an acute care hospital to minimise clinical risks and improve patient safety on account of systemic and human risk factors and patterns.Methods: The clinical risk management framework involves a 2-pronged approach through retrospective and prospective methods. The 5 stages of the retrospective approach include data collection, data aggregation, risk assessment and prioritisation, risk mitigation, and lastly, risk monitoring. The prospective approach entails horizon scanning which aims to detect risks early and ensure controls are swiftly implemented to prevent harm from arising. When combined, the framework seeks to be responsive to reduce the possibility and severity of patient harm. The number of incidents and risk scores for top clinical risks from 2016 to 2019 were monitored and studied to assess the effectiveness of the newly implemented clinical risk management framework.Results: When the clinical risk management framework was implemented in 2017, the number of incidents as well as corresponding risk scores for many of the identified clinical incident types and root causes decreased over the years. Most notably, two top clinical risks, results not being reviewed or delayed, and staff inadequate skills and knowledge, saw major improvements in risk scores.Conclusions: The systematic workflow of the 2-pronged clinical risk management framework allows the campus to manage risks comprehensively and efficiently. While retrospective risk analysis examines and reacts to reported clinical incidents, amidst volatile circumstances and advancements of technology exposing unprecedented risks in healthcare, prospective risk analysis conducted through horizon scanning is useful in anticipating and acting before harm arises, ultimately resulting in improved patient safety.

Analysis of Inadequacies in Hospital Care through Medical Liability Litigation

Over the past two decades, health litigation has followed an exponentially incremental trend. As insurance companies tend to limit their interest because of the high risk of loss, health facilities increasingly need to internalize dispute management. This study was conducted through a retrospective analysis of existing files concerning the civil litigation of the Sant’Andrea Hospital in Rome. All claims from 1 June 2010 to 30 June 2019 were included. Paid claims were further classified according to the areas of health care inappropriateness found. Authors indexed 567 different claims along the study period, with an average number of 59 per year (range 38–77). The total litigation involved 47 different units; more than 40% concerned 5 high-incidence wards or services. Concerning the course of disputes, 91 cases were liquidated before a judicial procedure was instituted, while 177 cases landed in a civil court. Globally, 131 different claims hesitated in compensation, for a total of 16 million 625 thousand euros, 41% of which was related to the internal medicine area. Dealing with the inappropriateness analysis, clinical performance alone involved 76 cases, for a total of 10 million 320 thousand euros, while organization defects involved 20 disputes equivalent to 1 million 788 thousand euros. The aim of this study was to enhance the clinical risk management at our facility through a litigation analysis.