An evaluation of risk assessment as a tool to improve patient safety and prioritise the resources

In many industries and areas risk assessments has shown to be a useful decision making tool, to compare options and study the need for risk reducing measures. In health care, risk assessment is on relatively new ground, and in this paper we will review and discuss its use in this area, with emphasis on patient safety. Assessments on different levels and types are addressed, ranging from the national level to individual patient level, and utilising information based on statistics as well as knowledge of the clinicians. Quantified risk assessments are highlighted. Although there exist general standards for risk assessments, there is no consensus on how to conduct risk assessments in general and patient safety in particular. This relates to several fundamental issues; such as how to express risk, how to deal with uncertainties and how to use pre-defined risk acceptance (tolerability) criteria. In this paper we address these issues, from a health care provider and an individual patient safety perspective. We present alternative solution approaches and perspectives, and we give recommendations on how to conduct the risk assessments.