subject: Learn What Healthcare Risk Management Is About [print this page] Risk Management takes many formsRisk Management takes many forms. Financial risk management, for example, is an exercise in research and computation. Financial risk management can be done without ever leaving the confines of an office. Workplace risk management, on the other hand, involves real world activities as varied as design, construction, workplace practices and training. In healthcare risk management, there was a time when healthcare risk management referred to the care and education of the patient. The healthcare professional advised the patient on medicine, diet, nutrition, exercise, cleanliness and other issues so that the patient was empowered to take personal steps that reduced the patient's risk of injury and illness and increased the patient's chances of healing and recovery.
Healthcare risk management no longer refers to the outward facing view of assisting patients in managing their health risks. Instead healthcare risk management now is inward facing, with the stated purpose of lessening the exposure of healthcare institutions all along the supply chain to litigation. Certification in healthcare risk management is now offered by most states. It is an expected certification for applicants to many administrative positions.
The skill set for healthcare risk management changes from state to state and nation to nation. In general, certification is offered to registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, pharmacists physicians, medical technicians, emergency medical technicians and chiropractors.
Certification courses in Healthcare Risk Management are usually two semesters long and are done either as part of a post-secondary diploma or degree program or as a continuing education program. The program begins with an introduction to risk management as a subject within the overall school of business administration. Such courses tend to over-stress classical risk management models in insurance and finance.
Once the student has learned to take a business admin point of view, subjects of relevance to institutional healthcare are covered. These include management of insurance claims, the legal trinity of malpractice, liability and negligence and risk exposure in the medical services supply chain.
