Most Foodservice and Nutrition Care Managers would acknowledge that, in a number of situations, “OK is good enough”. However, many times it is understood and that “OK” is NOT acceptable. It is likely that many individuals would agree 99.9% accuracy is a completely adequate standard. Yet, in many healthcare situations, even 99.9% is definitely not good enough. Here are some examples, from a 400-bed teaching hospital, of what would happen each year if 99.9% accuracy was the accepted standard:
Newborn babies dropped by obstetricians: 4
X-rays incorrectly diagnosed: 110
Medications given to the wrong patient: 2,850
Minutes of ventilator life support failure: 54
Incorrectly reported lab results: 1,095
Meal trays received by the wrong patient: 416
So then, based on the above examples, is 99.9% good enough? There will always be risks. The goal and reward is to create systems which will avoid, reduce and eliminate ANY risks.
by Michael Babines, Vice President, Vision Software
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