Ebola Risk Management Tips For Healthcare & Hospitals

Ebola is a critical virus that is affecting people thousands of miles away in West Africa and its arrived in the United States. Ebola is a severe, often fatal illness in humans, which is transmitted to people from wild animals. There are currently no licensed Ebola vaccines but, it does not mean Ebola patients can't be saved.

If you take care of your healthcare and hospitals than you can stop to spread this dangerous Virus. Here are some considerable tips for Hospitals and Healthcare Facility that should keep in mind when considering its internal risk management strategy in relation to Ebola and infectious disease in general.

1. Set up Policies, Demonstrate Compliance

Establish an organized, multidisciplinary framework that demonstrates compliance with best practices and available guidance by putting in place policies and procedures specific to infection control and particularly for those who contemplate caring for patients with potentially highly infectious conditions.

You should keep in mind various essential factors while considering policies like-

• Care protocols for Ebola suspected,
• Environment care,
• Treatment of infectious waste,
• Transportation of patients,
• Use of isolation rooms and systems,
• Staff follow-up and monitoring post-exposure

2. Educate Staff, Demonstrate Due Diligence

Staff should be trained to -

• Identify the signs and symptoms
• Correlating factors in diagnosing Ebola
• Reduce risk of transmission
• Provide necessary clinical care

3. Maintain Vigilance

Maintain vigilance with the policies and procedures above to ensure staff compliance. Audit behavior to ensure that best practices that take into account CDC guidance, as well as real-time experience from those in the field, are diligently followed, where applicable. Intervene immediately where any lapse in policy, procedure or process is identified, and share lessons learned.

4. Cut down Error Risk

Keep attention high and staff focused to reduce risk of errors. Ensure that the framework developed and educational efforts are collaborative among medical staff, nursing staff, and other clinical and non-clinical team members.

5. Know Your Capacity

Avoid getting in over your head—identify what your facility can and cannot handle. Consider a SWOT analysis by evaluating Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of both physical and human resources. Consider also undertaking a process of confirmation and documentation of facility capabilities to help guide patient care and potential transport if a suspected case is identified in your facility or another facility nearby.

6. Address Staff Concerns

Consider employee matters. Be prepared to deal with concerns of staff. Support of and care for staff does not stop at the end of a shift or with the recovery or demise of a patient with an infectious disease like Ebola.

The original article published - mwe