Begin typing your search...
Healthcare to follow ISRO guidelines
Health care in India is known to have very high number of errors, which do not include the routine complications. With poor communication known to be the main cause for such errors, the healthcare industry has decided to follow the protocols of ISRO, which has a very stringent policy.
By
migrator
migrator
Chennai
Stating that it is 20 times worse in India than in the United States---- which sees the loss of around 10 cases per 100 due to errors--- Dr S Saravana Kumar, Head, Department of Emergency Medicine, Mehta Multispeciality Hospital and Joint Secretary, Society for Critical Care Medicine, said, “When the seniors of the Association for Healthcare Providers in India - an association for all hospitals in the country - had an interaction with the former ISRO chairman Dr Kasturi Rangan, they discussed the errors in the healthcare system, and he found the numbers shocking.
It was then that he suggested that they adapt the guidelines of ISRO – which has a very stringent quality policy for preparation as well as launch – into healthcare, instead of the previous method of adapting airline policies.”
Stating that it was a great step filled with challenges, the doctor said that it will help bring about uniformity in all Emergency Departments that adapt the guidelines.
“The idea put forth by the former ISRO chairman – a year and-a-half ago - sounded interesting as it is the first time ever in the world that space agency is offering to disclose their quality practices so that some other industry can adapt whatever is suitable for them.
The Association had a deliberation and they came up with two areas in the hospital which are highly prone to errors – reason being high volume, very stressful situation for parents, doctors. They were the Intensive Care Unit and the Emergency Room. It contacted the society for critical care medicine in India and both teams were invited to deliberate along with ISRO to take this forward. As the lead coordinator for the entire effort, Dr Kumar said,
“We had about four or five deliberations with ISRO, which shared their quality best practices and then we all sat together and drew out an objective of this mission. We wanted something that is very easy to implement across all emergency departments in the county – both public and private sector.”
Of around 85 points put forth by the ISRO, around 12 were taken up, which could easily be adapted by hospitals. “The triage of the patient was an important factor to be considered, as India does not have a uniform triage protocol. We set up a structure for how doctors and nurses must assess the situation when a patient is brought in to the ER,” he said, adding that protocols cannot be defined for all disease.
“We have picked up two common problems in India – poisoning and stroke – which can be considered as emergency situations that cannot wait,” said a doctor from the Association. Five hospitals in the country, including Mehta Multispeciality Hospital in the city, have adapted to the guidelines as a pilot programme.
EMERGENCY GUIDELINES
- Triage of the patient when he comes to the hospital
- Need for structure to define who need more attention in ER
How a nurse or a doctor should assess an emergency situation
- A structure was put on what is the format the doctor must use across Emergency Departments to address any patient who comes in to the ER
- Life threatening injuries are captured first and addressed straight away before moving to the next step
Clinical management
- Two common problems in India – Poisoning and Stroke
- Poisoning - General management of a poisoned patient
- Stroke – Awareness on stroke emergency is less as compared to cardiac emergencies.
Visit news.dtnext.in to explore our interactive epaper!
Download the DT Next app for more exciting features!
Click here for iOS
Click here for Android
Next Story
