Understanding Risks to Patient Safety in Home Health
Some studies suggest that as many as 400,000 deaths occur in the United States each year as a result of errors or preventable harm. Not every case of harm results in death, yet they can cause long-term impact on the patient’s physical health, emotional health, financial well-being, or family relationships. Patient Safety Awareness Week is designed to advance important discussions and inspire action to improve the safety of the health care system — for patients and the workforce.
In-home risks (for patients as well as caregivers) vary from the risks found in hospitals and other care settings which represent more of a controlled environment. According to a report from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), typical home care risks are:
- Related to the increased complexity of health issues covered in the home and a general lack of training to manage them.
- Challenging due to differences from one home setting to the next – e.g., available physical space, family / caregiving situation, and SDOH.
And, medication errors – plus other problems with medication use – are a critical source of harm for home health patients; these errors are especially prevalent within the first few weeks after a hospital or SNF discharge. Unintentional falls are also a concern for patients receiving care in their home.
Recognizing that home health and home care agencies face challenges in keeping patients safe at home, the Joint Commission released the following 2021 National Patient Safety Goals:
- Identify patients correctly
- Use medicines safely
- Prevent infection
- Prevent patients from falling
- Identify patient safety risks
Using Virtual Care to Improve Patient Safety
Agencies are using virtual care to help prevent adverse drug events (ADEs), infections, and falls – effectively reducing unnecessary and costly ER visits and readmissions. Synzi enables agencies to conduct more frequent touchpoints with patients and remind them how to heal safely at home by:
- Encouraging medication adherence: Team members conduct virtual visits to inform a patient of the rationale for the new treatment plan medication, convey the routine prescribed for adherence, and provide tips to overcome obstacles in compliance. Instead of providing MTM via telephone or expending time and expense to drive to a patient’s home, a pharmacist can also be included in a virtual visit to reinforce the optimal use of the correct medications via video or secure messaging.
- Providing valuable information about their condition: Patients can receive a scheduled cadence of email or text messages regarding their condition. Messaging can also reinforce everyday tips to prevent falls inside and outside the home.
- Supporting patients’ ad hoc questions and emerging issues: As patients may have questions in between visits or need care on-demand, Synzi features bi-directional (two-way) communications so patients can reach out to their assigned clinician and/or the broader care team with their concerns.
With the Synzi platform, agency team members proactively (and continually) address risks to patient safety, thus improving overall satisfaction and outcomes.