KPJ National Patient Safety GOAL No. 2

IMPROVE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Effective communication is essential in any relationship including patient-care provider relationship. Communication is a two way pipeline. Effective communication means the message from the messenger perceived by the receiver accurately.

To improve effective communication we need to eliminate communication barriers. There are a lot of communication barriers but I would like to highlight three barriers as follows:

1.Assumption : Never assume the receiver understand technical term without checking their understanding

2. Avoid Curse of Knowledge(COK): COK is a condition when you become expert in particular subject,but it is hard to imagine not knowing what you do.

3. Closed Mind :  a condition when you are resistance to new ideas or informations.

Spanish Philosopher,Jose Ortega Y Gasset called it  'the barbarism of specialization' in one chapter of his famous book:  Revolt of The Masses

KPJ National Patient Safety GOAL No. 1

IDENTIFY PATIENTS CORRECTLY

The first step in patient safety goals in healthcare service is to identify patients correctly. This is the most important goal because without proper and correct identification of the patient, the patient safety is in danger - the medical treatment will be given to wrong patients. Imagine you are given radiotherapy but you are not having any indication for it. Imagine the doctor is operating on the wrong patient and the consequence is very costly.

Identification of patients correctly need a simple , accurate and standard process. One of the way is by identifying them using their National Identification Card (NRIC). Call the name written in NRIC and compare the image in the NRIC to the patient. Then register the patient by giving them unique Registered Number. Dont use location such as room number to identify the patient correctly. 

KEMENTERIAN KAJI HENTI PERJALANAN BAS EKSPRESS TENGAH MALAM

Kementerian Pengangkutan  mengkaji untuk hentikan perjalanan bas ekspres tengah malam, begitulah saranan menterinya, Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat. Dalam tulisan dalam blog saya sebelum ini, saya menyatakan salah satu faktor utama penyebab kemalangan jalanraya ialah keletihan atau fatigue yang disebabkan kekurangan tidur atau HUTANG TIDUR. Kajian menunjukkan tahap konsentrasi kognitif seseorang yang kurang tidur kerana berjaga melebihi 15 jam adalah sama dengan tahap konsentrasi kognitif orang yang mengandungi 0.1% tahap alkohol dalam darah (Blood alcohol level/BAC). Di Malaysia, seseorang itu akan didakwa memandu di bawah pengaruh alkohol sekiranya tahap alkohol dalam darahnya menjangkau 0.08%. Saya mengalu-alukan saranan tersebut dan berharap ianya menjadi realiti.

Untuk maklumat lanjut, sila rujuk pautan berikut:

1. Quantifying the performance impairment associated with fatigue

2. Sleep deprivation concerns in the transportation industry

3. Reducing American Sleep Debt : Guest Editorial

2. Quantitative similarity between the cognitive pyschomotor performance decrement associated with sustained wakefulness and alcohol intoxication (pdf)

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009

The year 2008 has gone, the year 2009 is here. Let us celebrate this new year by examining our OSH performance & achievement in 2008. How is our OSH SCOREBOARD in 2008? Based on our achievement, let us PLAN our OSH program for the year 2009. We have to continue our struggle toward HEALTHY WORKFORCE, SAFE WORKPLACE in our effort to face the uncertainty in economic scenario ahead.