The scope of outpatient care has expanded within the last decade or so, as has the volume and complexity of medical interventions. Same-day surgeries and services are examples of the latest shifts in the healthcare industry. These shifts are colloquially known as ambulatory care or outpatient care. While the advent of these new shifts seem promising, they are not without their faults. There are challenges of ambulatory care that could pose safety and communication risks between patients and medical personnel. Follow along as we delve deeper into the top three challenges of ambulatory care.

1. The issue of patient safety

As far as risk management and patient safety is concerned, outpatient care differs greatly from conventional hospital settings. Risk management and patient safety are deeply cemented in many hospitals. So much so that there are often specific staff members who oversee these matters. These can include risk managers, compliance officers, and quality improvement staff. However, many ambulatory care operations lack this framework. Some of the challenges of ambulatory care are due to medical professionals treating high-risk patients with complex needs. Because of this imbalance, there are more opportunities for errors to occur. 

2. Communication lapses in ambulatory care

The Joint Commission, who is responsible for accrediting a majority of inpatient and outpatient care centers, has identified that miscommunication is one of the leading causes of medical errors. Health care professionals ordinarily take great pride and exert all of their power in adhering to their patient’s needs and providing the best care possible. A common occurrence after the hand-off or hand-overs hinges heavily on communication between staff and the patients. This misalignment leaves the patient at higher risk of harm, since nothing about their patient profile was disclosed ahead of time.

3. Issues of communication among staff

When staff fail to communicate with one another, it can result in incorrect diagnoses, improper instructions for handling patients or failure to move forward with continued care, when a patient moves from the ambulatory care setting to the hospital, or back to ambulatory care. 

So, how can medical professionals rectify these issues? Communication errors and the challenges of ambulatory care are vastly improved when the following techniques are implemented:

  • Structured handoffs: Follows a format for exchanging patient information for those who need it. Standardized processes are utilized for information handling (i.e., checklist or form).
  • Reading back telephone orders: Writing down all orders and then repeating it back to the provider to ensure mutual understanding. 
  • Briefing: Involves bringing healthcare team members to discuss vital information, ask for input or devise a plan of action.
  • Debriefing: Subsidiary of briefing. Involves the opportunity for the team to review an event and discuss performance of said event. 
  • Two-Challenge Rule: A person who gets a message and has concerns about the safety of the message, will state the concern twice (if needed). The person providing the message is required to address the concern. 
  • Electronic medical records: Providers can access the patient’s records, test results, and treatment plan. All pertinent information should be easily accessible within the record.

Addressing The challenges of ambulatory care: SPLNC & Associates

SPLNC & Associates, LLC is a legal nurse consulting practice that assists attorneys in handling cases that involve medical negligence, personal injury, and other types of litigation that center around medical issues. If you have a client who has been personally afflicted by lapses in ambulatory care, contact us today!