Guerrero-Unit 8 pt 2

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Colorado State University, Global Campus *

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515

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Health Science

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Feb 20, 2024

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docx

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Uploaded by LieutenantHeron3985

Risk Management Plan: Infectious Disease Catherine Guerrero CSU Global HCM 515: Health Law & Ethics Dr. Borges 14 January 2024

Risk Management Plan: Infectious Disease In the constantly changing world of healthcare, the effective management of infectious diseases within healthcare facilities is very important to safeguard the well-being of patients, healthcare professionals, and our local community. This in-depth risk management plan has been thoroughly developed to address the complicated challenges posed by infectious diseases in our facility. By undertaking a thorough risk assessment, implementing detailed infection prevention and control measures, and fostering collaboration with public health authorities, this plan endeavors to create a resilient framework capable of responding adequately to the nature of infectious disease threats. From stringent surveillance and monitoring practices to a well-defined communication plan, each element of this strategy is geared towards not only mitigating risks but also ensuring the continuous enhancement of our facility's ability to navigate and manage infectious diseases effectively. Through education, preparedness, and a commitment to constant improvement, we aspire to strengthen our healthcare facility against the challenges posed by infectious diseases, contributing to a safer and healthier environment for all. Infection prevention and control measures are on the top of our list for the facility’s plan. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention outlines specific criteria to be met for legal compliance. At the core of infection prevention and control are basic protocols like proper hand hygiene, use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and establishing guidelines for the medical team and patients/visitors to see and follow. Hand washing is not a new concept and even dates to the 19 th century where it was found to reduce the risk of fatal fevers and maternal deaths. (Mathur, 2011). Education is vital in our facility as we cannot reasonably expect all our patients to understand the proper protocol for hand washing. We must be responsible for ensuring posters are present in treatment rooms

as well as common areas to remind medical staff and patients alike to properly wash their hands. Furthermore, we cannot forget the importance of PPE while working with patients, particularly ones with infectious diseases. Enforcing standard use of gloves and masks can greatly reduce the spread of highly contagious illnesses such as COVID-19. (Verbeek, et al., 2020). It should be common knowledge that our staff are at a greater risk of contracting infectious diseases due to the nature of our work. We must not allow negligence to hinder our performance. It is an unfortunate aspect of life, but we must recognize the millions of people who are affected by infectious diseases. Over 40 million people are diagnosed with HIV alone. (Brandeau, et al., 2003). With this information alone, it is reasonable to assume the level of difficulty is high to have enough resources to mitigate the spread of infectious diseases. As a healthcare facility, we must take into consideration our resource management protocols and how we ought to prioritize where/when to send funds. While we understand that supplies are necessary to prevent the further spread of infectious diseases, we are choosing to focus on one aspect of the topic: preventing further spread. During COVID- 19, we saw through social distancing and masks, we helped prevent the spread in a small way. An overlooked resource we may not always consider is our medical personnel at the facility. This brings us back to our first point of risk management and that is the use of proper hand hygiene and wearing our personal protective equipment. These are resources we have available to us at little to no costs and should be used effectively. A communication plan is a vital part of infectious disease management. It not only provides a format for disseminating accurate information, but also serves as a tool for promoting public understanding, cooperation, and trust during challenging times. Infectious diseases have been around for centuries and will continue to be around until the end of time, it is only a matter of ‘when’ the next infectious disease will happen. (Snell, 2017). Communication is such an imperative tool when dealing with such events, the CDC has developed a guide on how to communicate effectively. Communication

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