Protecting Safety
Your health matters more than anything. With this in mind, safety is at the centre of all we do.
Every day, Nova Scotians receive high quality, effective care. Sometimes, however, the care we receive can impact us negatively. This is certainly not the normal experience of most people who receive care, but even one occurrence is too much.
We take adverse events seriously. We are doing our best to improve patient safety by working with partners here at home and participating in national groups committed to reducing the incidence of adverse events.
Safety is a shared responsibility ... actions take place on the provincial, national, and health system levels.
Provincial Activities
The Department of Health continuously strives to make sure Nova Scotians receive safe health care.
There are many programs and projects that specifically address safeguarding our health care system:
Nova Scotia Health Information System NShIS
This is a computer-based system that will allow for a fully connected hospital information system. It is currently being implemented across the province-34 hospitals in eight districts, with plans to link to the Capital Health District and the IWK.
This means that, once in place, important health information can be shared securely among health care professionals within and between Nova Scotia hospitals, including test results and treatment plans.
There are several ways that NShIS will help improve patient safety:
- Using this system will reduce the wait times for some tests, which will allow for quicker diagnosis and treatment plans.
- The electronic ordering of tests and medicines can also eliminate errors associated with illegible handwriting and transcription.
Medication Booklet
A medication record book is being distributed to every senior who turns 65.
Seniors can carry this compact book with them to keep track of prescription and non-prescription medicines on their own, or by having the pharmacist update the book each time they buy a new medicine.
This will help doctors and pharmacists to identify drug interactions or side effects that might cause adverse events.
Blood Coordination Program
Achieving quality care requires sound standards and guidelines. The Province has funded a provincial blood coordination program. This program makes sure that national standards on the use of blood products are in place consistenly across the province.
An expert committee advises the Department of Health and the health authorities on safe blood use.
Healthcare Safety Advisory Committee (HSAC)
The provincial Healthcare Safety Advisory Committee is an interdisciplinary team representing expertise that spans the continuum of care. The purpose of the committee is to provide leadership in advancing healthcare safety and a culture of safety across Nova Scotia's healthcare system. The HSAC has recently initiated a number of working groups including Information Technology, Human Factors Engineering, Culture and Leadership, Occurrence Reporting and the Canadian Patient Safety Week Working Group.
The predecessor to the HSAC was the Healthcare Safety Working Group. This group produced a final report (PDF) with recommendations for action and also recommended the formation of the HSAC as a long-standing committee dedicated to patient safety.
Investing in Those Providing Care
We know that quality and safety are intricately linked to having the right mix of health care services and professionals. Staff who are attuned to safety are often the strongest barrier to health system hazards. They ensure that the right care is provided and work together with other team members to make smooth transitions.
The province is committed to making sure we have the right mix of health human resource professionals so that Nova Scotians get quality care now and in the future.
Having the right mix of health professionals means people will get the care they need, when they need it. We are helping doctors set up practice in rural Nova Scotia, and in communities across the province so that Nova Scotians can access the right services in a timely way as close to home as possible. The fact that more and more physicians are choosing a more balanced lifestyle with fewer working hours means that Nova Scotians will increasingly receive their care through a team of care professionals.
Registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) are a valuable and essential part of the delivery of quality health care services. Currently, there is a demand across North America for nurses. This is creating a significant challenge in Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia's nursing strategy not only looks at ways to retain and recruit nurses, it also addresses workplace issues to make sure that nurses are supported in and get satisfaction from the work they do. The strategy aims to build a stronger, healthier nursing workforce and workplace in Nova Scotia. Since implementation of the nursing strategy, we are seeing success on all levels.
A new class of 25 health professionals from across Nova Scotia has begun training to become certified medical laboratory technologists (MLTs). Although to patients technologists are behind-the-scenes, they are an integral part of the delivery of our health care services. By providing accurate results on blood, tissue, and other tests, they make it possible for health professionals to diagnose and treat patients. This, of course, is vital to making sure our health system offers the best possible care to Nova Scotians.
Nova Scotia Telehealth Network
Established by the Department of Health, Telehealth is a series of telecommunication links connecting forty-two (42) health care facilities throughout the province. Videoconferencing equipment is used to assist with providing patient care and education to individuals and families in Nova Scotia. This equipment can transmit medical data and provide videoconferencing between locations.
One of the greatest benefits of the network is its ability to improve patient access to health care services regardless of where they live. It also makes it possible for rural healthcare professionals to access support services without leaving their communities. This means that there is less chance that diagnoses will be missed.
Having faster access to health consultative services closer to home increases the chance for faster treatment.
Telehealth is used for clinical (e.g., patient) consults, educational sessions (for patients as well as health care professionals) and health care related administrative meetings within and across district health authorities.
For more information on the Telehealth Network, www.gov.ns.ca/health/telehealth/
Education Sessions for Professionals about Safety
Health care professionals and the agencies they work within are committed to sharing information about healthcare safety and learning about approaches that reduce hazards. Mechanisms for learning more about safety are many and varied including broad circulation of numerous professional journals and newsletters that address safety issues, informal networks, web links and conferences.
Nova Scotia has been fortunate to have hosted international experts and symposia on safety. The Department of Health continues to host leadership workshops on safety and bring together many of the leaders of Nova Scotia's healthcare system to discuss safety priorities.
Nova Scotia Health System Activities - District Health Authorities and IWK
Nova Scotia's District Health Authorities and the IWK Health Care Centre have patient safety initiative built into their systems. They continuously monitor and improve their patient safety practices, as well as provide ongoing staff education on clinical and procedural practices.
The following are examples of some of the patient safety initiatives underway in many of the DHAs and the IWK. For more information about the patient safety initiatives in your district, contact your local health authority or health care centre.
- Development of falls prevention strategies and practices to help prevent falls among patients
- Improvements in patient consent polices and procedures, including those related to surgeries.
- Improved procedures around the handling of concentrated potassium chloride, e.g. special packaging to clearly identify it; replacing it with premixed solutions
- Established committees to review medication errors
- Set up patient safety committees
- Established policies for single-use medical devices
- Participation in provincial committees on patient safety
- Participation in a national drug delivery risk assessment program through the Institute for Safe Medication Practices
- Participation in Health Canada and manufacturers safety alert and recall systems
National Activities
Health Canada maintains numerous programs to identify public health and safety risks, and distributes this information across the health system. Some of these programs are highlighted below.
Patient Safety Institute
The Patient Safety Institute was formed in December 2003. It is an independent not-for-profit corporation that will provide a leadership role with respect to patient safety issues with the aim to improve health care quality.
To do this, the Institute will work closely with governments and health system stakeholders.
Programs to Identify Public Health and Safety Risks:
Adverse Reaction Reporting by Health Professionals and Consumers
All marketed health products have benefits and risks. Although health products are carefully tested for safety and efficacy before they are licensed, some adverse reactions may not become evident until the general population uses a health product under "real life" circumstances. By submitting a suspected adverse reaction report, you are contributing to the ongoing collection of safety and effectiveness information that occurs once health products are marketed.For more information, visit Health Canada site.
Look-alike Sound-alike Health Product Names
The names of some marketed health products appear similar to other products when written or spoken. This is known as a look-alike sound-alike (LA/SA) issue. LA/SA health product name similarities may contribute to medical errors when two products are confused and one is used instead of the other. The confusion may be related to similarities in the written name on a prescription or similarities in how the name is pronounced when ordered over the telephone. The confusion may also occur when a consumer (human drugs) or a farmer/pet owner (veterinary drugs) obtains an over-the-counter product whose product name is very similar to another product name.
An example of similar human brand name drugs that have been confused include Losec and Lasix. Losec (omeprazole) is often used to treat ulcers while Lasix (furosemide) can be used to treat hypertension.
For more information, visit Health Canada site.
Medical Device Problem Reporting by Healthcare Facilities, Medical Professionals and other device users
Medical device problem reporting is an essential element in the continued efforts of the Health Products and Food Branch Inspectorate (HPFBI) of Health Canada to protect the health and safety of Canadians. Although manufacturers and importers are required to report medical device problems, the HPFBI encourages anyone purchasing, using or maintaining these products to report problems.
For more information: visit Health Canada site.
How Adverse Reaction Information on Health Products is Used
Adverse reactions are undesirable effects to health products. Health products include drugs, medical devices and natural health products. Drugs include both prescription and nonprescription pharmaceuticals; biologically-derived products such as vaccines, serums, and blood derived products; cells, tissues and organs; disinfectants; and radiopharmaceuticals.
Reactions may occur under normal use conditions of the product. Reactions may be evident within minutes or years after exposure to the product and may range from minor reactions like a skin rash to serious and life-threatening events such as a heart attack or liver damage.
For more information: visit Health Canada site