1.Risk management and patient safety would have once been considered similar concepts. However, the concept of patient safety has taken on new meanings in the healthcare environment. Discuss the differences that exist between risk management and patient safety in healthcare today.

Your response should be at least 300 words in length.

2.Risk management strategy is said to begin with the risk assessment. Identify at least three areas in EMS where risk assessment would be crucial to the development of a risk management strategy for the organization. Provide examples of how risks identified in these areas may result in a claim.

Your response should be at least 200 words in length.

3.Greater emphasis has been placed on the consent of minors relative to obtaining healthcare. Each state has varying conditions under which a minor is both legally competent to consent to care without parental notification or consent and circumstances where a minor may be considered an adult for the purposes of medical consent. Research your state’s statutory requirements related to the treatment of minors. Discuss the risks associated with the management of a 13 year old female with a potential, but uncertain, obstetrical complaint where her parents are in the home at the time of the response. Identify the type of consent that would apply in this situation based on your state’s legal statutes.

Your response should be at least 300 words in length.

4.Research the benefit of root cause analysis for implementation of sustainable system-wide changes that prevent or minimize errors in the EMS industry. Discuss why this form of quality improvement is advantageous compared to individual-based incident or case review.

Your response should be at least 300 words in length.

5.Consider the purpose of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) for patient protection. Identify a situation with risks that may result in an EMTALA violation claim for an EMS organization. Explain what strategies should be used to minimize or eliminate this risk.

Your response should be at least 200 words in length.

6.Discuss the risks associated with not having an established policy, procedure, or protocol for handling patient complaints or operational incidents that can impact patient care and response.

Your response should be at least 200 words in length.

7.You have been tasked with developing a policy for structuring standardized handoffs when transferring patients from a hospital in-patient status to a long term care facility. What would be an appropriate method to incorporate into your policy? What would an appropriate method for a handoff occurring between two supervisors at the scene of an incident? Discuss why they might be the same or different.

Your response should be at least 200 words in length.

8.Identify two factors that may contribute to communication failures within an EMS system. Describe how you feel these two factors increase risk and in what way.

Your response should be at least 200 words in length.

9.Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) requires several steps for successful implementation. Explain how this type of risk management program may be more appropriate for EMS organizations than the traditional risk management programs.

Your response should be at least 200 words in length.

10.Discuss the importance of risk-retention capacity when determining whether to use self-insurance as a way to finance risk for the organization. Identify advantages and disadvantages to incorporating self-insurance (total or partial) in your organization’s risk-financing plan.

Your response should be at least 200 words in length.

11.Describe potential benefits associated with bill abatements in response to adverse patient incidents. What types of criteria should be considered when evaluating a situation for bill abatement? Should the cost of care be shifted to the organization when a patient error has occurred during treatment and/or transport? Explain why or why not.

Your response should be at least 200 words in length.

12.Plaintiffs may request access to quality improvement documents during the written discovery phase of litigation. In some jurisdictions, these documents are privileged and not discoverable. Identify examples of these materials and discuss why it is important for risk managers to understand protections afforded for certain documents.

Your response should be at least 300 words in length.