This paper will observe the patient safety indicators in the Swedish Covenant Hospital in Chicago, Illnois. Patient safety indicators are the parameters that are used to determine the degree of patient’s safety for the time the patient is in hospital for medication. The parameters are considered as serious, treatable, and able to cause complex conditions.  The Swedish Covenant Hospital does better than average on hip fractures after surgery, collapsed lungs, catheter-related bloodstream infections, electrolyte or fluid imbalance, and respiratory failure. For illnesses that relate to these areas, it is better for a patient to visit the Swedish Covenant Hospital. The hospital has zero cases of foreign objects forgotten in the body in the surgical process (Health grades, 2013).

The hospital does scores below average on abdominal incision because breakdown is likely to occur. The rest of the indicators on pressure sores, deaths, excessive bruising, bloodstream infection, and deep blood clots have an average safety. This paper will look at the following area level indicators: selected infections due to medical care, foreign body left during procedure, post operative wound dehiscence. Foreign bodies includes the surgical tools and related ancillaries left in the body after the surgery. Infections may occur after a surgery process especially at the point of incision (ECRI Institute, 2009; Hussey, Mattke, Morse, & Ridgely, 2006; Institute of Medicine, 2004). These three areas are captured in the safety indicators shown in the case of Swedish Covenant Hospital. The risks can be managed by risk identification, risk control, claims management, and risk financing. The risk management approach must be both administrative and based on medical details (ECRI Institute, 2009; Institute of Medicine, 2004).  It is also indicated by Health grades (2013) different hospitals score better in some indicators their peers have scored poorly. Risk management should also consider learning form the institutions that perform better in the respective areas (Health grades, 2013).

References

ECRI Institute. (2009). Risk management, quality improvement, and patient safety. Healthcare risk control, 2(14), 1-15.

Health grades. (2013). Patient safety indicators.  Swedish covenant hospital. Retrieved. 19 May, 2014. http://www.healthgrades.com/hospital-directory/illinois-il-chicago-metro-area/swedish-covenant-hospital-hgsta2346f56140114

Hussey, P.S., Mattke, S., Morse, L., & Ridgely, M.S. (2006). Evaluation of the use of the AHRQ and other quality indicators Prepared for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Santa Monica, CA: Rand Health.

Institute of Medicine. (2004). keeping patients safe: transforming the work environment of nurses. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.