National Patient Safety Awareness Week

Patient health is just one piece of the healthcare puzzle. It’s important to recognize that other factors are just as crucial, like patients remaining safe while receiving healthcare and undergoing medical treatment. This is why National Patient Safety Awareness Week was created and is annually recognized, occurring this year from March 13-19, 2022. DispatchHealth is proud to help manage our patients’ health while also ensuring that they are absolutely safe in a multitude of ways.

Why patient safety is so important

It’s not enough for patients to receive top-quality medical are; safety initiatives also need to be in place to minimize physical, mental, or emotional harm. When healthcare providers and facilities place just as heavily of an emphasis on patient safety, it can prevent a number of unwanted or negative outcomes.

So, what patient safety protocols does DispatchHealth have in place? Here are just some of the top examples:

We bring healthcare to our patients’ homes

The primary way that DispatchHealth provides a safer healthcare experience is by going to our patients’ homes. Leaving the house to receive medical care can not only be difficult but even potentially dangerous for certain people. Instead of scenarios like being exposed to other illnesses at a doctor’s office or driving while severely under the weather, you have the option of safely remaining in your home and having a qualified team from DispatchHealth come to you.

Our sanitization and disinfection processes

While our expert team of DispatchHealth professionals will come into your home, outside germs will not. In between every single visit, we thoroughly wipe down and sanitize all medical equipment and our vehicles. Plus, all of our clinicians are equipped with personal protection equipment. These practices were especially important with the emergence of COVID-19 and sanitation continue to be the standard for DispatchHealth . Our patients will never feel that their health or safety are at risk by having us come into their homes.

We provide individualized care

Traditional urgent healthcare services such as emergency rooms are crucial in rapidly identifying medical problems and saving lives. However, patients often receive a one-size-fits-all approach rather than the individualized care that they may need. In contrast, DispatchHealth is able to offer one-on-one care by coming to patients’ homes, allowing us to better understand them, their health, and anything that may put them at risk or jeopardize their safety.

We have created a system of care in the home

Our in-home care services extend beyond urgent health needs. We can also assist patients recovering from a hospital stay, and decrease their risk of readmission with our Advanced Care and Bridge Care programs. With our Advanced Care program, patients receive 24/7 monitoring from a hospital-trained internist, along with support from a team of advanced practice providers and a nurse care coordinator. Our Bridge Care program entails visiting, monitoring, and treating high-risk patients at their homes 24-72 hours post-discharge. According to a pilot study by investigators at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, patients receiving this level of hospital care in their own homes had a 70% lower rate of readmission to the hospital.

This week and every week, DispatchHealth is committed to focusing on patient safety while providing effective and attentive in-home healthcare services. You can learn more about us, what we treat, and our additional care programs by exploring our website or contacting a team member today. You can also request care for an acute urgent medical need here.

For life-threatening and time-sensitive injuries and illnesses, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. DispatchHealth shouldn’t be used in a life-threatening emergency and doesn’t replace a primary care provider.

Sources

DispatchHealth relies only on authoritative sources, including medical associations, research institutions, and peer-reviewed medical studies.

Sources referenced in this article: