Hospital administrators in the United States might not interact with patients much but can still make a difference when it comes to accurately diagnosing patients. Those in New Mexico may like to know about how administrators can prevent misdiagnosis.
Patients and hospital staff members alike might sometimes have trouble communicating effectively. Physicians do not always know how to discuss errors, and staff members might be hesitant to question each other. Patients are also sometimes uncomfortable with asking questions. Administrators can work to facilitate communication by encouraging interaction and making people comfortable.
Hospital administrators can gather feedback and use the findings to help staff improve. Staff should feel free to voice even critical opinions that could improve patient care. When collecting patient reactions, open-ended questions may allow patients to give more constructive information.
Doctors and staff members who interact with patients frequently must have people skills. Administrators can offer advice and training opportunities so that physicians and others build listening and social skills. Administrators could also make it easy for patients to access electronic health records. This allows a patient to view their records and point out anything important that the doctor should pay attention to. Even if there is nothing pressing that a physician must know, a patient and physician can still ensure that they are on the same page by reviewing one’s medical history together.
When a patient or their loved ones file a medical malpractice suit, physicians, nurses, hospital administrators and other staff members could all be listed as defendants. This means that everyone who is part of a medical team has some responsibility to make sure that patients are correctly being taken care of. The failure to diagnose a condition could qualify as negligent if medical practitioners did not act in the way other reasonable health care providers would have in a similar situation.
