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Medical Error Prevention (Online CEU Course)

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Medical Error Prevention is a comprehensive course that includes potential causes of medical errors in the clinical laboratory, important legislation and definitions, and steps laboratorians can take to reduce the impact of medical errors in their workplace. This course is an ideal part of an effective medical error reduction program and is appropriate for both experienced and novice laboratorians.

This course is appropriate for all recertification and license renewal requirements, including the license renewal requirements of the Florida Board of Clinical Laboratory Science Personnel. See how a LabCE subscription meets your Florida license renewal CE needs.

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Continuing Education Credits

  • P.A.C.E.® Contact Hours (acceptable for AMT, NCA, ACSP, and state relicensure): 2 hour(s)
  • Florida Board of Clinical Laboratory Science CE - Medical Errors: 2 hour(s)

Objectives

  • Define the terms medical errors, adverse events, and near misses
  • Contrast preventable and unpreventable adverse events
  • Identify factors that contribute to medical errors involving laboratory professionals
  • Explain mechanisms for reducing medical errors
  • State strategies that reduce medical errors and increase patient safety
  • Name organizations that support medical error prevention and patient safety
  • List actions the public can take to reduce the likelihood of medical errors

Course Outline

Click on a link in the outline to view a sample page from this course.

  • Introduction
  • Medical Errors
  • Error Reduction
      • Sentinel Events
      • Sentinel Event Categories
      • The Joint Commission and Sentinel Events
      • Root Cause Analysis and Sentinel Events
      • Sentinel Event Reporting
      • Sentinel Events Review
      • Root Cause Analysis
      • RCA Description
      • Steps in Root Cause Analysis
      • RCA Value
      • RCA Limitations
      • What are the steps of Root Cause Analysis?
      • The Joint Commission Sentinel Event Alert Since 1998, the Joint Commission has issued 25 Sentinel Event Alerts to the healthcare co...
    • Medical Culture and Systems
      • Reporting Reluctance
      • Culture of Secrecy
      • Systems Problems
      • Systems Design
      • Systems Failure
      • Avoiding Systems Failure
    • Error Reporting
      • Direct Error Detection Even perfect systems designs cannot avert human limitations. Medical errors occur and they have to be detected before they c...
      • Follow-Up Error Detection
      • Observation and Review
      • Analyzing Medical Events
      • Root Cause Analysis Reports
      • RCA Information
    • Error Reduction and Patient Safety
      • Relevant Human Factors
      • Challenges to Existing Programs Current error-prevention programs face many challenges:
  • Error Prevention
    • Organizational Support for Error Prevention
      • Vigilance
      • Awareness
      • Study
      • Discussion
      • These statements describe ways laboratory professionals can prevent medical errors.
      • Failure Mode and Effect Analysis
      • FMECA Steps
      • Advantages of FMECA
      • FMECA and RCA
      • New Joint Commission Standards
      • Joint Commission Patient Safety Goals Joint Commission adopted national patient safety goals for healthcare organizations, including specific goal...
      • Improving Patient Safety Many other organizations strive to improve patient safety. These dedicated groups promote current information about their ...
      • American Society for Clinical Pathology The American Society for Clinical Pathology, ASCP, promotes medical error prevention through its projects, ...
      • American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science The American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science, ASCLS, joins the leadership effort to prev...
    • Public Actions That Reduce Errors
      • Public Responsibility for Safety
      • Speak Up Campaign JCAHO also encourages people to do things themselves to prevent errors. It joined other groups in 2002 to launch the consum...
      • Which of these actions can people do themselves to prevent medical errors?
  • Conclusion
      • Human Nature and Error Prevention
  • Resources and References
      • Resources for Medical Error Prevention

Additional Information

This course provides information and interactions that facilitate learning about ways laboratory professionals can prevent medical errors. It meets continuing education requirements established by the Florida Legislature and the Florida Board of Clinical Laboratory Personnel to complete a two-hour course in medical errors prior to licensure and licensure renewal.

  • Florida Statutes: Chapter 456.013(7). The boards, or the department when there is no board, shall require the completion of a 2-hour course relating to prevention of medical errors as part of the licensure and renewal process. The 2-hour course shall count towards the total number of continuing education hours required for the profession. The course shall be approved by the board or department, as appropriate, and shall include a study of root-cause analysis, error reduction and prevention, and patient safety.
  • Florida Administrative Code Rules: Chapter 64B3-11.001 (1)…each licensee shall take a Board approved 2-hour course relating to the prevention of medical errors, which shall include root-cause analysis, error reduction and prevention, and patient safety.


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