Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Addressing and Resolving Patient's Complaints (Ethical Issues)

Policy


The Hospital management ensures that ethical issues arising from patient care will handled and acted accordingly. The management believes that whether the patient is satisfied or unsatisfied with the provided services, the institution encourages that every client or patient/ family members are encourage to verbalize their sentiments/ suggestion/ complaints, because it is one way of checking and improving the quality services provided by the institution. For this, the management made a guidelines or procedure in resolving ethical issues.


Purpose


To develop a system of addressing and resolving ethical issues arising from patient care



Responsible person


Admin-HR, Ethics Committee, Department Heads, and Board of Trustees


Procedure


1. Minor Cases (e.g.: problems on courtesy to the patient/family members and etc.)


a. The Service Director (Department Head) receives a copy or copies of patient complaints. The Service Director conducts investigation and analysis of the complaints


b.The Service Director issues a memo to the staff or personnel involved in the complaint, asking him/her to submit a written reaction within 48 hours with respect to the time he/she receives the memo. A copy of patient’s complaint(s) and memo are submitted to the Administrative Director.


c.The Administrative Director set a date for hearing procedures. The HR makes a letter to the Service Director and involve personnel on the date of hearing


d.During the hearing procedures, the Service Director and Administrative Director, notes the validity and consistency of the patient’s complaint(s) and answers of the involve personnel


f.With respect to the rank of the Service Director, he/she will have the authority to make appropriate sanctions to his/her staff involved in the complaints. Sanctions are based on Policy and Procedures on Grounds and Sanctions



g.The Administrative Director and Human Resource Officer validate the sanctions given. The Administrative Director and Human Resource Officer can wave the sanctions given by the Service Director if it is not align with the Policy and Procedures on Grounds and Sanctions and Hospital Protocols


h.As per policy, the sanctions given by the administrators to the involved personnel must be counter check by the hospital legal officer (hospital lawyer)


2. Major Cases (e.g: drug related incidents with minor or major damages,

procedural or surgical activities that have damages and etc.)



a. Complaints on ethical dilemma arising in the course of providing patient care

is received by the Service Director and submitted to the Administrative Director


b. The Administrative Director forwards the case to the Ethics Committee


c. The Ethics Committee collects data and deliberates the issues and make

recommendation to the Hospital President


d. The Hospital President presents the recommendation of the Ethics Committee

to the Board of Trustees


e. The Board of Trustees approves or disapproves the recommendation. Legal

consultation is done to the Hospital Lawyer


f. The President releases the decision of the Board of Trustees to the complainant

and involved personnel and implements the decision.