Glynis Schultz, Executive Director

Following on from my message last week I wanted to continue the conversation about the short notice assessments against the eight National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards.

This process supports us to continuously improve the healthcare we deliver to our patients and consumers, and provide confidence that we are maintaining the standards.

In today’s message we will dive down into a number of additional standards, our priorities and what each of us can do to improve the care we provide.

Standard 5: Comprehensive Care (Lead – Dane Robinson)

Standard intention
To ensure that patients receive comprehensive care – that is, coordinated delivery of the total health care required or requested by a patient. This care is aligned with the patient’s expressed goals of care and healthcare needs, considers the effect of the patient’s health issues on their life and wellbeing, and is clinically appropriate.

To ensure that risks of harm for patients during health care are prevented and managed. Clinicians identify patients at risk of specific harm during health care by applying the screening and assessment processes required in this standard.

COH priorities

• Active involvement of patients in their own care by discussing and documenting goals of care and including patients during bedside handover.
• Completion of risk assessments and management plans/actions.
• Preventing falls and harm from falls.
• Preventing pressure injuries.

What can you do?

• Ensure risk assessments are complete and goals of care are documented.
• Be person centred in your practices.
• Know the patient’s support people and make them feel welcome.
• Share information openly with other clinicians.
• Understand the procedures that support comprehensive care – Delirium, Restraint, Bed Rails, Pressure Injury, Falls and Nutrition.
• Contribute ideas to implement strategies for improvement.

Standard 8: Recognising and responding to acute deterioration (Lead – Stephanie Hadikusumo)

Standard intention

To ensure that a person’s acute deterioration is recognised promptly and appropriate action is taken. Acute deterioration includes physiological changes, as well as acute changes in cognition and mental state.

COH priorities

• Implementing policies and procedures for recognising and responding to acute deterioration.
• Improving mandatory training compliance for Basic Life Support (BLS) training and competency.
• Improved documentation of measured vital signs and the patients mental and physical condition.
• Supporting patients to better understand Ryan’s Rule.

What can you do?

• Listen to patients, carers and family members and ensure you know how to escalate so the correct response is provided promptly and by the right person.
• Understand Ryan’s Rule and the implications for escalation.
• Know how to conduct a complete mental state examination if needed.

Glynis.