Risk Management Standard of Practice PDF
Standard
The physiotherapist participates in risk management activities to promote quality physiotherapy services.
Expected outcome
Clients can expect that they will be informed of risks inherent to their care, measures will be taken to minimize risks, they will be safe in the care of the physiotherapist, and any adverse events will be disclosed to the patient promptly and transparently.
Performance expectations
The physiotherapist:
- Verifies that there are policies and procedures in place related to risk and crisis management and that he/she is knowledgeable about these procedures.
- Identifies potential risks in the work environment and incorporates appropriate measures to mitigate/manage these risks (e.g., breaches of privacy/confidentiality, environmental hazards, solo practice, aggressive clients, and treatment risks related to needling, manipulation).
- Participates in emergency preparedness and response training appropriate to the practice setting (e.g., fire drills, CPR).
- Recognizes the occurrence of near misses and adverse events (e.g., hot pack burns, falls) and responds immediately to minimize the impact on the client.
- Documents near misses and adverse events, and completes reports appropriate to the practice setting.
- Contributes to the collection of data to identify, manage, and prevent potential risks and adverse events relevant to the practice setting.
- Discloses details of any adverse events to the patient promptly and transparently, according to best practice guidelines and employer policies and procedures.
