EMS ERROR-PROOFING
Resource Page

Error-proofing is a systematic way of identifying what may go wrong in your organization’s processes, then taking steps to reduce the likelihood of such occurrences and minimizing the consequences if it does. People are not perfect. They will always be prone to making errors. Traditional management efforts to make people fit the process. When an error inevitably occurs, the tendency is to blame the people for not trying hard enough, remembering, losing concentration, etc. In contrast, error-proofing recognizes that people are not perfect. Efforts are focused on designing and modifying processes to fit the people who work with those processes. Edwards W. Deming said it best; More than 94% of problems are system problems and less than 6% of problems are people problems. By identifying what can go wrong in work process EMS leaders can take actions to prevent such occurrences

When it comes to the number of errors that patients incur while being cared for by in the prehospital environment, errors are often not identified and are usually not documented. There are several reasons why Emergency Medical Services (EMS) are slow to identify errors. One of the most prominent is misunderstanding of what constitutes an error. An error is said to exist anytime that a patient does not receive the appropriate care in the appropriate sequence at the correct time. There are numerous opportunities for errors in the prehospital environment. Examples of EMS errors include failure to administer aspirin to an acute coronary syndrome patient, a delay in defibrillation of a cardiac arrest patient, administration of an incorrect medication, and a delay in responding to a call. Some of these problems may occur frequently enough to justify the formation of a process or Six Sigma improvement team. For most processes, there may only be the risk of errors which might cause problems – but the consequences can range from minor to catastophic. For those processes with moderate to serious consequences, process error-proofing is the best strategy.

Here are links to sources of additional information on error-proofing:

IPS Courses on EMS Error-Proofing

IPS offers a set of classes specifically focused on the application of error-proofing to the EMS environment. These classes may be presented as on-demand pre-recorded lessons, live webinars or face to face workshops. We are currently accepting no obligation pre-registrations from those interested in taking any classes related to EMS error-proofing. You will be notified by email on the date(s), time(s) and class format(s) once the arrangements have been made.

To pre-register for this live webinar, click here.

top