One of the medical industry’s primary concerns is patient safety. Disfavored events during medical activities can occur because of any medical intervention, even when performed correctly (regardless of whether it is diagnostic, therapeutic, or rehabilitative). Improving patient safety requires comprehensive resolutions within the health care system, and safety standards are one of the solutions (Rangachari & Woods, 2020). They are essential when organizing medical care in pandemic conditions, guaranteeing stable and practical work of medical organizations. Health care providers must follow standards and have a shared practice for all parties since these guidelines promote a common understanding of the requirements. Therefore, it can be demonstrated that they are always met. Common knowledge enables a shared effort among all stakeholders, including government, agency, and community (including patient) organizations, to ensure the highest level of safety (Badri et al., 2018). In this way, a shared understanding of standards and practices eliminates prejudice, provides quality treatments and practices for every patient, and makes the healthcare industry more transparent to each stakeholder.
The existence of federal regulations regarding screening and treatment does not preclude each state and health care organization from using its standards for outpatient and inpatient care that clarify or expand the range of techniques and tools. At the same time, these entities cannot establish standards of care that contradict the federal ones. According to federal legislation and state regulations, each medical institution is responsible for compliance with safety and health standards (Badri et al., 2018). Moreover, standards are mandatory for all entities that provide medical care.
Considering that the standards contain scientifically grounded requirements for the necessary medical prescriptions and manipulations, their implementation in reasonable health care is mandatory in each institution. They aim to improve the quality of medical care, protect the rights of patients and medical personnel, and guarantee the necessary volume and level of medical care (Hick et al., 2020). Moreover, continuous quality control of medical care is mandatory, the criterion for an objective assessment of which are standards. Thus, these documents play an essential role in determining the liability conditions of medical institutions and their employees in case of providing medical care of inadequate quality.
References
Badri, A., Boudreau-Trudel, B., & Souissi, A. S. (2018). Occupational health and safety in the industry 4.0 era: A cause for major concern?. Safety science, 109, 403-411. Web.
Hick, J. L., Hanfling, D., Wynia, M. K., & Pavia, A. T. (2020). Duty to plan: health care, crisis standards of care, and novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Nam Perspectives, 13(1), 2-6.
Rangachari, P., & L. Woods, J. (2020). Preserving organizational resilience, patient safety, and staff retention during COVID-19 requires a holistic consideration of the psychological safety of healthcare workers. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(12), 4267. Web.