Risk Management, Quality Improvement, and Patient Safety

Introduction

Chapter 13 Background:

This chapter discusses risk management and quality improvement, both of which are at the heart of patient safety, advancing good medical outcomes and reducing the costs associated with poor quality care. It explores the background, organization and operation of the risk management functions in a healthcare organization and how risk management relates to the overall organizational responsibility of quality improvement. The chapter includes a discussion of government and private quality improvement efforts designed to protect patients from adverse events while at the same time providing data related to cost, access, quality and patient safety activities. The chapter concludes with a review of patient rights. Patient rights include access to health care, self-determination about whether or not to receive treatment, and access to and control over one’s own health information. The chapter traces the right to healthcare and multiple sources of patient rights, including external forces such as statutes, regulations and accreditation standards, and internal forces such as an organization’s policies. It also examines the rights of vulnerable patients such as those with mental illnesses and all patients subject to seclusion and restraint abuse. The chapter concludes with a brief look at patient responsibilities, the corollary to patient rights. As patients become progressively more empowered, they are likely to continue to exert their rights as healthcare consumers.

Outcomes

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

Distinguish between quality, quality improvement, risk management, and patient safety
Contrast the typical steps one would find in a risk management program and discuss the tools used in support of risk management activities.
Summarize the federal regulations and government initiatives in support of quality and patient safety.
Differentiate between the voluntary quality and patient safety reporting programs.
Examine the factors that determine whether a patient has the right to receive or refuse medical treatment.
Compare sources of patient rights with respect to their legal authority.
Analyze how the rights of patients with mental illness can be exercised, including those related to the use of seclusion and restraints.
Differentiate various forms of patient health information rights and analyze how they benefit the patient.
Illustrate how patient responsibilities can be carried out by individuals.

Learning Activities

Read & Watch: Required Module Readings & Resources

Chapter 13: Risk Management, Quality Improvement, and Patient Safety
- Complete the "Check Your Understanding" Questions as you read the chapter. (Answer key located below)
Interactive Lecture: M6 Interactive Lecture: Risk Management, Quality Improvement, and Patient Safety
Chapter 13 ppt slides
Practice: M6 Practice Quiz (not graded)

Additional Resources

This is one of Georgia's largest ER malpractice verdicts in history, YouTube, Atlanta News First, 2025 (5:37)
Chasing Zero: Winning the War on Healthcare Harm
Study finds that nearly 25% of inpatients experience adverse events in the hospital, YouTube, NBC News, 2023 (2:05)nks to an external site.
Check Your Understanding Answer Keys

Graded Assignments

M6 Graded Discussion: Case Discussion on Adverse Events DUE 12/11/25
M6 Application Assignment: Vocabulary and Definitions DUE 12/11/25
M6 Comprehensive Exam: M6 Comprehensive Exam DUE 12/11/25

Tips for Success

To help in the completion of this Module, you should…

Complete all Required Reading and take notes during lectures.
Focus on Key Terms/Vocabulary - know the meanings, definitions, and context for the terms in each chapter
Know the due dates and deadlines of all assignments
Pay close attention to assignment requirements, including the naming conventions for saved/uploaded files
Don't forget to maintain your discussion boards! It's easy for students to lose points by not replying to their peers or maintaining posts from week to week and these missed points can add up in the overall grade for this course.
Don't lose your work - always save a back-up copy of all assignments including your discussion board content.
Ask for assignment clarifications as needed - your instructor is always available to help!