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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The 23rd issue of "HA Risk Alert" was published today (October 28) by the Hospital Authority (HA). The publication is a risk management and communication initiative to further strengthen the reporting and monitoring of adverse incidents in public hospitals.
In the foreword of the latest issue, the Chairman of Central Co-ordinating Committee (Internal Medicine), Dr Patrick Li, points out that it is important to reinforce the safety check measures for effective and safe prescription. However, it is also necessary to recognise that these measures impose an additional workload for clinical staff. The control measures should focus on high-risk drugs whose use has serious consequences.
The sentinel events analysed in this issue include four cases of retained instruments and consumables and four cases of patient suicide. Among the reported serious untoward events, there were 19 medication incidents and two cases of patient misidentification. Subsequent to in-depth root-cause analysis investigation, recommendations are made and shared in this publication to avoid similar events occurring in future.
The publication also presents the top reported incidents under the Advanced Incident Reporting System in the first two quarters of 2011.
The publication has been distributed to all health care professionals in public hospitals for purposes of continuous quality improvement. It can also be accessed by the public at www.ha.org.hk/riskalert.
"HA Risk Alert" is published on a quarterly basis and posted on the HA website every last working Friday in the month of January, April, July and October. The next issue will be published on January 27, 2012.
Ends/Friday, October 28, 2011
Issued at HKT 17:20
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