In an exclusive interview with Dr Suhasini Jain, the Medical Superintendent at CK Birla Hospitals|RBH, Jaipur, we delve into the vital aspects of patient safety at CK Birla. Patient safety is a cornerstone of healthcare excellence, and CK Birla Hospital exemplifies an unwavering commitment to ensuring the well-being and security of its patients. We explore their multifaceted approach to safeguarding patients, including stringent protocols, innovative technologies, and a dedication to continuous improvement. Join us as we gain insights into the measures and philosophies that make CK Birla a beacon of patient-centric care and safety in the healthcare landscape.

Can you briefly explain the importance and role of patient safety protocols in a healthcare setting?

At CK Birla, our top priority is keeping patients safe in our hospital. We do this by being very careful when giving treatments, using checklists to prevent mistakes, following important rules, making sure our hospital is safe, training our staff regularly, and using signs and posters to help patients understand things better. We have designated patient safety officers who watch over these safety rules to make sure everything goes well and patients get the best care in a safe place.

How does CK Birla, Jaipur prioritize patient safety?

Patient safety is extremely important to us. It is a core part of who we are. We always put our patients' needs first and make sure everything we do in every part of our hospital follows the safety guidelines set by the International Patient Safety Goals. Whether a patient stays in the hospital (Inpatient) or comes for a visit (Outpatient), we make sure our staff is very well trained, we have strict rules to follow, and we make sure everyone follows those rules closely to keep our patients safe.

Can you share an example of safety protocols that the hospital puts in place to help ensure patient safety?

To keep our patients safe, we focus a lot on preventing infections and making sure everyone follows proper hand hygiene. We also have a special way to communicate with our patients using acrylic boards in their rooms. These boards show important information like the nurse taking care of them, their doctor, their prescribed diet, their prescribed medicines and how to recognize different staff by their uniform colors. We have set up special codes to announce emergencies in the hospital. Moreover, we use detailed checklists at every step of a patient's journey, especially during surgeries, to make sure everything goes smoothly and safely.

In your opinion, what role does effective communication play in enhancing patient safety, especially in a diverse healthcare setting like CK Birla Hospital?

In our diverse healthcare setting at CK Birla, good communication is like the glue that holds everything together. It helps create a safe, welcoming, and teamwork-oriented environment for patients and staff from all backgrounds. Good communication is essential for making sure patients get the best care while keeping risks low. It means that the right things happen at the right time, and it gives both patients and staff a way to share their thoughts and concerns. This helps us keep improving how we take care of patients and how we keep them safe.

Are there any recent advancements or technologies that CK Birla Hospital has adopted to further improve patient safety?

At CK Birla, we have a unique and innovative approach to taking care of patients. We are careful with how we use antibiotics, especially in a place like India where they are often used too much. We make sure we have a variety of antibiotics to use and try to avoid creating resistance. We also use a special barcode system to keep track of our reusable instruments, and our Supply Chain Management team takes care of this to ensure they are used safely. We are all about keeping patients informed, and we have online tools to help them understand their treatment journey better. Moreover, we are excited about our upcoming robotic surgery technology, which will make surgery less invasive, reduce mistakes, and improve precision, making things even safer for our patients.

In the event of a patient safety concern, how does the hospital conduct thorough investigations and implement improvements to prevent similar issues in the future?

In our hospital, we are all about making things safer for our patients. When something goes wrong, like a mistake in patient care or a communication problem, we want to learn from it and do better. So, we have a form that anyone can fill out when they see something wrong, and it goes to our quality team. They investigate it carefully to find out why it happened. Then, we work with the team involved to make sure it does not happen again, often by providing extra training and activities. We also want to hear from our patients, so we ask them to share their experiences and concerns through their phones. This information goes through our PDMS team, and we use the same process to make our systems better. We even have a special call center and software called Treatwell that lets patients make requests or report problems with a simple press of a button. This helps us solve issues quickly and make sure our patients' needs are met.