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By AHRA Staff
May 2010–As part of the Advanced Management track at the Annual Meeting in August, James B. Conway, MS, FAHRA, Judy A. Dye, Max Grady, MSED, ARRT, R, CT, MR, CV, MG, QA, and Gail A. Nielsen, BSHCA, FAHRA, RT(R) will present the workshop, “Patient Safety: Why, What, and How?”
The speakers will provide an overall perspective on organizational and microsystem patient safety, focused on areas of highest potential harm. They will also share a tool to assess where a department is in their patient safety journey and illustrate via story and data the harm currently experienced by patients, family members, and staff. Presenters and audience members will share specific action items and success stories of a safety journey and create and/or further stimulate a tension and approach for improved safety.
Link recently spoke to presenter James Conway to get a feel for what attendees can expect from the presentation.
AHRA: What inspired you to present on this topic?
James Conway: While considerable progress is being made to improve patient safety and reduce harm, much more needs to be done. The work needs to proceed in the community, at the organizational level, in departments (microsystems) such as imaging, and at the bedside and exam room. In the midst of wonderful patient care in imaging departments, near misses, suffering, harm, death, and waste occur. The faculty has considerable experience in patient safety, a love of the AHRA, and an interest in understanding how learning can systematically be applied to imaging (radiology, nuclear medicine).
AHRA: Why is your topic relevant to our members?
JC: As leaders, we have a fundamental responsibility to assure that nothing about our systems of care harm those we are privileged to serve. As leaders we have a responsibility to put in place systems to support the safe practice of staff. We also must assure that accountability exists for individual and team delivery of care.
AHRA: How might your presentation impact an attendee’s job and/or organization?
JC: Our goal is to develop a tool/approach that will allow a department/organization to understand their risks, prioritize them, and mitigate those most likely to cause harm in their area.
AHRA: What 5 words would you use to describe your presentation?
JC: Patient-centered, systems, design, harm, assessment
AHRA: How can attendees prepare for your session in order to get the most out of it?
JC: Make up a list of patient safety issues they experienced in their departments in the last year—from the perspective of leadership, staff, patients, and families.
AHRA: What do you think attendees will be most surprised to learn from your presentation?
JC: The extent of safety defects in imaging and the successes of organizations to mitigate these defects once they have been identified.
AHRA: If attendees were to remember one thing about your presentation, what would you most like it to be?
JC: Imaging is an area of harm and leaders can and must address it for patients, family members, and staff.
For more information on this and other sessions at the 2010 Annual Meeting, click here.
James B. Conway, MS, FAHRA is the senior vice president of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in Cambridge, MA. He has served as president of AHRA, been a Gold Award recipient, and has written articles for Radiology Management. He can be reached at jconway@IHI.org.
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Jim et al
I certainly appreciate that you all are placing this critical topic front and center at our annual meeting. Learning from our colleague leaders is the core of AHRA, thank you for your generous contribution!