NCJ Number
190463
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 63 Issue: 5 Dated: August 2001 Pages: 64-66,68-70,139
Date Published
August 2001
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This article examines ways to improve patient safety and make correctional health care more efficient.
Abstract
Improved patient safety is a critical initiative spreading throughout the health care industry. The challenges in correctional health care are compounded by the unique restrictions, requirements, and realities of security operations and facility design. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) has attempted to make patient care safer and more efficient by automating laboratory, pharmacy, radiology, care documentation, care pathways, scheduling, ordering, medical records, and materials management. The strategic objectives of the LASD, among the world's largest correctional facilities, include: (1) maximizing the efficiency of staff time associated with delivery of medical care; (2) providing full electronic access to inmate medical records from any facility; (3) receiving reimbursement for all eligible medical care, such as HIV and mental health medications; (4) integrating with electronic medical records documents received from outside facilities and ancillary services; (5) providing timely delivery of medication to all inmates, regardless of transfers or location within a facility; and (6) providing a level of inmate care consistent with community standards. The article concludes that information management is the cornerstone of programs to enhance inmate care and improve operational efficiency. The ability to input data regarding clinical events and to collect information from multiple sources is a necessity for efficient, cost-effective, and timely inmate health care. Figures, references