Health Administarion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Health Administarion - Essay Example Medical errors can be grouped in to diagnostic errors that include poor medical tests, treatment errors that include inappropriate care, medications and process errors that include poor communication, wrong patient identification, documentation and equipment failures. Medical error is associated with poor training, urgent care, new procedures and complex care. Complicated medical technologies, poor communication and fragmented systems can also lead to medical error. Some human factors that lead to medical errors include burnout, depression, and fatigue and time pressures (Kalra, 2011). The initial step in responding to medical error is to address the current medical needs of the patient. The physician should immediately address the adverse unanticipated medical outcome by assessing extends of harm and the required medical procedures to reduce the harm (Kalra, 2011). The second step entails communication of the adverse outcome with the patient or any representatives of the patient like the close relatives. These entail providing information on the causes of the medical error and extend of harm to the patient (Kalra, 2011). The third step is reporting to the appropriate parties and authorities in the health facility and regulatory agencies. Each health facility should have guidelines on internal reporting of the medical error and steps in reducing further adverse medical outcomes (Kalra, 2011). The fourth step is checking the medical records of the patient. Such medical documentation should be accurate and complete. This includes the patient medical condition prior to the medical error, the interventions undertaken to reduce the harm and patient response. The physician should also note the information communicated to the patient after the medical error (Kalra, 2011). The fifth step entails follow ups and monitoring the changes in