Local clinics comply with standards say officials

(CNS): Patients should have seen the emergence of a number of improvements at their local healthcare facilities in recent months following the implementation across Cayman of National Standards, officials said this week. Since Inspections began in May 2010, all registered healthcare facilities have undergone inspections and are now compliant with the standards. To date there have been 238 inspections. Patients can look for the health care facility registration certificate, which is required to be on display, to ensure their local clinic is up to date and still in compliance.

TheNational Standards (NS) were developed by the Health Practice Commission with a view to regulating a level of quality in health care for the Cayman Islands. The main themes are patient-centered services, the security of patient information, accountability, consistency, safety and quality assurance.

The commission found that, while practitioners are trained to focus on patient-centered services, most were not familiar with the extensive body of research regarding the issue. Government officials stated that although during the inspection process practitioners admitted clinical staff were not familiar with the latest research on “patient-centered” care, the requirement to write a policy on it drove positive changes and has improved quality of care.

Deputy Director Lyria Josephs, deputy director at the department of health regulatory services, said the work of the department is a “precursor to the upcoming health conference that is focusing on patient centered care.”

Officials also noted that trust is such a huge part of the relationship between health care practitioners and patient’s clinics are to secure patient records either electronically or physically.

“Some local clinics have had to install locked cabinets for hard file copies, while others have ensured that their electronic database is password protected with back-up facilities overseas,” officials stated in a release.

The standards also cross reference with other government entities such as planning and the fire department to ensure compliance with the relevant laws and codes. Government departments have worked co-operatively to bring health facilities into full compliance, officials said, ensuring all staff are trained in fire response procedures and that facilities are in compliance local building codes.

“This is a success story of Government departments working together for the public safety,” states Health Inspector Barrie Quappé. “We asked these departments for their assistance, and they have been there even in this climate of limited resources.”

Mark Scotland, the health minister, said the health of the people was Cayman’s primary asset. “Healthcare Facilities are vital in the delivery of patient centre care. I am pleased that this initiative which is a collaborative effort between my Ministry, the DHRS and other agencies has confirmed that our healthcare facilities are in compliance, and we will ensure that they continue to remain in compliance with the standards established by the Health Practice Commission.”

For more information on patient-centered care or National Standards see the following links:

Why the Nation Needs a Policy Push

The National Standards Checklists (Revised Nov 2009)