Risk and Quality Collaboration - A Vital Contributor to Patient Safety

The Patient Safety movement has dramatically increased the demands on the Risk Management and Quality Departments, but resources have generally not increased to meet the demands. Collaboration between Risk Management and Quality enables both departments to meet the increased demands through decreased redundancy and improved efficiency, and to avoid the pitfalls of silo-ed investigations and policy development. Risk Management and Quality collaboration more efficiently fosters the reduction of patient harm and improves the quality of healthcare delivery - both vital to improved Patient Safety. Elizabeth Gardner, BSN, MA, CPHRM Manager of Patient Safety and Quality Ob Hospitalist Group, Inc.