Risk Management and Safety Standard

Standard

The physiotherapist promotes and maintains a safe environment for patients, health-care providers, themselves, and others.

Expected outcome

Patients can expect to be safe in the care of the physiotherapist and in the practice environment, and that any patient safety incidents will be appropriately addressed and disclosed promptly and transparently.

Performance expectations

Related to Risk Identification and Mitigation

The physiotherapist:

• Identifies potential patient safety risks relevant to the practice setting, method of service delivery, and patient population served.
• Verifies that there are policies and procedures in place related to risk and crisis management and is knowledgeable about these procedures.
• Incorporates appropriate measures to mitigate/manage identified risks and adheres to safety best practices.

Related to Physiotherapist Training

The physiotherapist:

• Maintains their competency in safety protocols, procedures and risk mitigation measures relevant to their practice.
• Participates in emergency preparedness and response training appropriate to the practice setting, method of service delivery, patient population served, and identified safety risks.

Related to Patient Interactions

The physiotherapist:

• Provides a clean and safe physiotherapy practice environment.
• Confirms that all equipment and electrophysical modalities are clean, safe, and maintained and calibrated in accordance with manufacturer specifications, and retains documentation of equipment calibration and maintenance.
• Verifies patients’ identities to confirm that the correct physiotherapy services are provided.
• Applies appropriate safety procedures when using equipment or electrophysical modalities.

Related to Responding to Patient Safety Incidents

The physiotherapist:

• Confirms that the appropriate party has disclosed patient safety incidents and near misses not related to physiotherapy services.
• Recognizes the occurrence of patient safety incidents and near misses.
• Responds immediately to patient safety incidents and near misses to minimize the impact on the patient.
• Documents patient safety incidents and near misses in the patient’s treatment record and completes reports appropriate to the practice setting in accordance with the practice setting’s policies and procedures.
• Contributes to the collection of data to identify, manage, remediate and prevent potential risks and patient safety incidents and near misses relevant to the practice setting and population served.
• Discloses details of patient safety incidents and near misses related to physiotherapy services to the patient and appropriate parties promptly and transparently.