PRA Newsletter | Third Quarter | Issue III | July 9, 2018
You and your team are your practice's greatest assets. While you all work towards saving patients, it's equally important to take measures to protect yourselves.
There are specific risks associated with working in the healthcare industry including; workplace violence and physician burnout.
Learn more about managing these risks and keep your practice safe and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to stay informed on Professional Risk and the latest in the healthcare community.
Workplace Violence
Are You and Your Staff Covered?
The healthcare industry experiences the highest rates of workplace violence with an estimated 75% of all cases occurring in this field.
With these statistics, it's imperative to ensure that you and your practice are covered for such events.
Unbeknownst to most physicians and practice managers, instances of assault in the hospital may not be covered under their workers' compensation insurance. In order for an incident to be covered it must be classified as an accident. Therefore, willful acts of violence committed by aggressive or disgruntled patients may leave you or your employees without any kind of coverage.
Fortunately, there are alternative insurance options to help manage this risk. To learn more about workplace violence and how to prevent it, click here, and contact your risk adviser today for more details on your coverage options.
Deescalating Disruptive Patients
One of your practice's best defenses against workplace violence is recognizing a potential threat and deescalating the situation before it can become physical. According to an article from,"Western Journal of Emergency Medicine" here are 10 domains of deesclation:
Respect personal space
Do not be provocative
Establish verbal contact
Be concise with your messages
Identify wants and needs
Listen to the patient
Agree or agree to disagree
Set clear limits
Offer choices
Debrief patient and staff
For more information on deesclating aggressive patients, see MedPro's article.
Physician
Burnout
Increased administrative demands and heavy workloads are interfering with how physicians provide care and leave many providers feeling burn out.
This condition is not only a threat to physicians' mental well-being but it also poses a risk to patient safety. According to the Malach Burnout Inventory;
emotional exhaustion
depersonalization
loss of personal accomplishment
are the three greatest indicators of physician burnout. You can learn more about physician burnout and helpful resources to overcome it with this TDC article.