You know an issue is high profile when Oprah brings it up on her show. I rarely get a chance to see the show but a friend told me about an episode from last week that addressed the importance of patient safety. Oprah had actor Dennis Quaid on; talking about a simple medical error that almost cost him his newborn twins (they’re fine now.) The show focused on the importance of being a smart healthcare “consumer” and picking hospitals based on how they perform in terms of safety. Dr. Oz, Oprah’s personal medical guru, actually said that it’s important to use a Joint Commission accredited hospital when possible, as a way to reduce your risk of medical errors. By going to one of these hospitals, he says, you are also influencing the entire industry by forcing other hospitals to achieve these goals.

We’ve talked a lot here about the link between employee satisfaction, and patient satisfaction and safety. It’s simple: A happy employee is focused on their professional tasks, without being distracted by a negative environment, which leads to better performance – and happier, safer patients.

Automated talent management helps you build employee satisfaction via many of your employee retention programs such as on time merit pay increases, and creating a fair and objective employee performance feedback loop that integrates peer reviews, competency validation, and self evaluations into the process.

Employee development planning is another source of employee satisfaction because it demonstrates that management cares about employee growth. Attaching training directly to job competencies makes a safer patient environment while giving Joint Commission auditors what’s needed to maintain accreditation.

Read Dr. Oz’s complete “Smart Patient Checklist” here. And let us know what you think about this important issue!