Patient’s Perspective

The perspective of the patient is the most important determinant as to whether an adverse event (AE) has occurred.  This is so because the patient is the one who will be facing serious consequences and side-effects as a result of a clinical trial.  Also, it is the patient that determines the markets’ profits and revenues.  If the patient is unhappy with the services that are rendered, then the hospital or place of care would receive a bad reputation.  Patients will likely go where they find and receive exceptionally great quality of care, products and services.

AE can result in death, serious injuries resulting in handicappers, cancer or even fetal exposure.  If there should ever be a serious clinical trial in AEs patients, it must be reported immediately to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and also to the sponsor of the program.  Clinical trials that are a result of minor AEs can be sent to the regulatory authority, referencing a summary of what happened to the patient, what precautions were taken and what were the final results.  

It is extremely important that AEs mishaps situations be reported, so that the process of change can occur.  This can take place through patient satisfaction surveys, as it is a great tool of quality improvement for healthcare professionals, who are concern about the patients’ perception.  Oftentimes, AEs can be very traumatic for a patient; therefore healthcare providers should communicate efficiently with patients to come to a quick diagnosis of where things stand.  An apology goes a long way but most times, physicians can be reluctant to admit that a medical error has occurred.  Patients can find comfort knowing that preventative strategies are put in place to avoid another possible occurrence of a clinical error. 

The major reason why physicians do not admit if a mistake has happened is because of a lawsuit.  To prevent it, they stay quiet and try to cover up the mistake.  When faced with an AE, it relevant to be honest about it, instead of pointing fingers or playing the blame game, which only intensifies the matter and cause frustration to the patient and their families.  Managers have to determine through investigations whether a system error has occurred, the policy was available, easily understandable and workable (Reason, 1997).  Physicians and managers have to work together to prevent such system errors.  It is vital to get the patient involved in discussions, regarding their treatment, medications and answer any questions that they may have, so that they can be involved in the decision making process of their care.  Actively participating in these discussions can enhance patient’s results.  

Reference       

Reason, J. (1990). Managing the risks of organizational accidents: Human error. New York: Cambridge University Press.