On the journey to providing safer care, decision makers often prioritize efforts to reduce medical harm incidents. However, as we look across the continuum of care, we must consider that the single biggest clinical risk to any organization is, in fact, its workforce — and one of the most consequential items impacting the workforce is administrative harm.
On the surface, it makes sense. With medical harm incidents, there is an obvious impact on patients and their providers, as well as the risk for reputational damage and potential legal action for the organization. Administrative harm, acknowledged by some as a “quiet epidemic” of inefficiency and decentralized process administration, might easily be dismissed.
However, there are very real costs associated with inaction. Healthcare providers enter the profession to help patients, but administrative inefficiencies can monopolize valuable time and often only help in theory. After 25-plus years of enduring real inefficiency for theoretical outcomes, the industry has reached a breaking point.
RLDatix Vice President of Compliance Solutions, Kenneth Slifer, details the threat of administrative harm and outlines a systemic approach to alleviate the burden — setting the stage for improved quality and accuracy in patient care, as well as a more satisfied and efficient workforce. Read the full article in Becker’s Hospital Review.
