Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (2019) Communicating for Safety Standard.
Clinical governance and partnering with consumers
Overarching actions that support integrated clinical governance, quality improvement and organisational systems to support clinical communications
- Clinical Governance Standard: 1.16, 1.17, 1.18 – Healthcare records; and 1.12 Open disclosure
- Partnering with Consumer Standard: 2.3, 2.4, 2.5 Healthcare rights and informed consent; 2.6, 2.7 Sharing decisions and planning care; and 2.8, 2.9, 2.10 Communication that supports effective partnerships
- Communicating for Safety Standard: 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4 Clinical governance and quality improvement to support effective communication
Consider documentation requirements at all stages
Relevant, accurate, complete and timely information is documented in the healthcare record to support patient care (3.7, 4.5, 4.6, 4.8, 4.10(c), 4.12, 5.4(a), 5.9, 5.12, 5.13, 5.17(b), 6.6, 6.11, 7.5, 8.4(a), 8.5(e))
Effective communication is critical at all stages of care
Clinicians should have the skills and knowledge to effectively communicate with patients, carers, families and other members of the care team
Patient’s Journey
A patient enters a health service organisation | Flow of information - All relevant information should follow the patient | A patient exits a health service organisation | A patient is in their home/community/other service |
Communicating at registration and admission |
Communicating to plan care, and when therapy or medication is provided |
Communicating acute deterioration and escalating care |
Communicating at transitions of care |
Communicating at discharge |
Follow-up communication |
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Communicating when critical information emerges of charges
Critical information may arise throughout the course of care, and may require changes to the plan of care
- Communicate critical information and risks to clinicians and patients (6.9)
- Patients, carers and families able to communicate critical information (6.10)
- Review and adapt plan, reassess patient’s needs (5.14(c)-(d))
Communicate adverse drug reactions during an episode of care or ineffective management of medication (4.8)