Healthcare risk managers work hard to identify patient safety hazards, assess the level and type of risk, control or remove potential harm and loss triggers, monitor risks and improve performance.  With their eyes on patient safety and internal risk management activities, a few things sometimes fall through the cracks because they are out of sight, and out of mind. We have identified three mistakes risk managers make and how to avoid them.  This is the third:

Don’t let your clients go it alone during an adverse event. 

You’ve all heard the saying that “there is wisdom in the counsel of many,” but how often do risk managers find themselves alone in a tough situation because there’s no one who has the kind of experience needed, or the people they would consult have competing agendas, high fees, or a conflict of interest?  That’s when using a risk management helpline provided as part of your insurance program can make all the difference.   

Some carriers offer this service in house.  Other carriers, knowing that clients might hesitate to call in order to avoid alerting the claims or underwriting department to a situation that has not yet become a claim, contract with a confidential, third party risk management firm. Hopefully serious adverse events, unanticipated outcomes, or disastrous situations don’t happen every day in your client’s organization, but they do for OmniSure and a handful of other firms dedicated to clinical risk management.  With a network of legal nurse consultants, attorneys, and legally informed clinicians, these firms take calls from healthcare clients all over the world every day with questions, difficult issues, and crises.  Don’t let your client go it alone. There really is wisdom in the counsel of many. 

Advice: Call the helpline and get acquainted with its capabilities even before your clients really need it.  And, if haven’t already engaged a risk services partner with a confidential third party clinical risk management helpline, there’s no time like the present to arrange for one. 

VIDEO Tip – Mistakes – Going it Alone