Patient Safety in Psychiatry: Improving Systems and Practices

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION Ensuring patient safety is of utmost concern in psychiatric units, yet measures often fall short of achieving this goal. Standardized procedures and practices are frequently lacking, leading to ...

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Ensuring patient safety is of utmost concern in psychiatric units, yet measures often fall short of achieving this goal. Standardized procedures and practices are frequently lacking, leading to inconsistencies and deficits in care. Safety is not given priority, all too often, leaving patients vulnerable to the use of restrictive measures such as restraints or seclusion, as well as to the possibility of suicide, elopement, and medication errors. Failure to ensure appropriate handoffs and transitions can compromise the continuity of care and place patients at risk of adverse events. The full range of pertinent issues must be addressed in a systematic fashion in order to improve patient safety. Many strategies are available to reduce deficiencies, and clinicians should be prepared to initiate these solutions to resolve inadequacies, improve overall quality of care, and optimize patient outcomes.

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this educational activity, participants should be able to:Describe approaches to effectively manage aggression or violence in patients with psychiatric disordersOutline factors predictive of suicide and steps that should be taken to decrease the risk of suicide among patients with psychiatric disordersExplain factors contributing to elopement among psychiatric inpatients and how to implement changes aimed at preventing these eventsDiscuss the causes and characteristics of medication errors in the care of patients with psychiatric disorders and identify potential solutions Apply the principles of handoffs and transitions designed to minimize disruptions in the care of patients with psychiatric disorders to reduce the risk of inappropriate treatment

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