Why is Quality and Safety Important in Healthcare?

In the healthcare industry, it is obvious that improving overall quality and safety is important, but what makes it unique compared to other industries. There are many different reasons why quality and safety are so important for the healthcare industry and making them a focus of a facility can literally save lives.

One of the most significant reasons why quality and safety are important in healthcare is that unlike most other industries, hazards are intentionally brought into the facility. When someone is sick and they come to a hospital, for example, they are bringing a biological hazard into an area with lots of other people. Taking steps to improve safety will help to reduce the risk of these hazards from spreading or causing additional problems.

Another issue is that there are many hazardous items that are required to be present in a way that is difficult to control. Medicines, sharp needles, scalpels, and other hazardous chemicals and materials need to be close at hand so medical professionals can use them quickly when they are required. Keeping these items safe, but accessible, is required for making sure that employees, patients, and guests are all as safe as possible.

In the health care industry, you also have to keep in mind that many people who enter a facility are experiencing high levels of stress, mental health crisis, substance abuse, and other issues that can make them unpredictable. This significantly raises the risk factors compared to what most other industries experience. For this reason, you really need to take safety seriously and do everything possible to reduce risk.