An Introduction to Clinical Governance and Patient Safety
Elizabeth Haxby, David Hunter, and Siân Jaggar
Abstract
Clinical governance is integral to healthcare and all doctors must have an understanding of both basic principles, and how to apply them in daily practice. Within the Clinical Governance framework, patient safety is the top priority for all healthcare organizations, with the prevention of avoidable harm a key goal. Traditionally, medical training has concentrated on the acquisition of knowledge and skills related to diagnostic intervention and therapeutic procedures. The need to focus on non-technical aspects of clinical practice, including communication and team working, is now evident; ensur ... More
Clinical governance is integral to healthcare and all doctors must have an understanding of both basic principles, and how to apply them in daily practice. Within the Clinical Governance framework, patient safety is the top priority for all healthcare organizations, with the prevention of avoidable harm a key goal. Traditionally, medical training has concentrated on the acquisition of knowledge and skills related to diagnostic intervention and therapeutic procedures. The need to focus on non-technical aspects of clinical practice, including communication and team working, is now evident; ensuring tomorrow's staff are competent to function effectively in any healthcare facility. This book provides a guide to how healthcare systems work; their structure, regulation and inspection, and key areas including risk management, resource effectiveness, and wider aspects of knowledge management. This book presents a simple overview of clinical governance in context, highlighting important principles required to function effectively in a pressurized healthcare environment. It is presented in short sections based on the original seven pillars of clinical governance. These have been expanded to include the fundamental principles of systems, team working, leadership, accountability, and ownership in healthcare, with examples from everyday practice. Examples from all branches of medicine are presented to facilitate understanding.
Keywords:
clinical governance,
patient safety,
avoidable harm,
clinical practice,
risk management,
resource effectiveness,
knowledge management
Bibliographic Information
Print publication date: 2010 |
Print ISBN-13: 9780199558612 |
Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: January 2011 |
DOI:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199558612.001.0001 |
Authors
Affiliations are at time of print publication.
Elizabeth Haxby, editor
Lead Clinician in Clinical Risk, Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
David Hunter, editor
Consultant Anaesthestist & Intensivist, Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
Siân Jaggar, editor
Consultant Anaesthetist, Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
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