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It is no longer enough to deal only with health risks, but it is necessary to prevent them with adequate preparation and resources. Italian healthcare facilities are still exposed to vulnerabilities that could be compensated for by training, information and risk financing models based on evidence and data quality also in possible risk transfer strategies to the insurance market. This is underlined by a survey of 100 structures from which it emerges that 73% consider the resources allocated to “risk management” insufficient
Insufficient resources waiting for the Pnrr
The volume “Healthcare risk management in Italy – Survey of tools and resources intended for the safety of care”, created by Relyens, a European mutual insurance and risk management group in the healthcare sector, with the collaboration of Federsanità, a Confederation that associates local health authorities, hospitals and Irccs together with representatives of the Municipalities. The results of the investigation portray a difficult situation where, in the face of skills and professionalism, there are often insufficient investments, which could find relief in the potential represented by the Pnrr funds. It is no coincidence that 73% of those interviewed believe that the risk management function does not have sufficient economic resources. Where there are 11%, these are limited to the threshold of 5 thousand euros for 40% of the respondents: an inadequate sum for 70% of those who responded to the questionnaire. This is why the resources of the Pnrr are important in this sense, with a modest 34% of those interviewed confirming the planning of projects relating to mission 6 of the Plan, to which is added a 27% who responded “partially”.
Training on risk culture is crucial
In hospital risk management, in order to build a safe, efficient and sustainable healthcare ecosystem at 360 degrees, as hoped for in Law 24/2017 Gelli-Bianco, training and preparation are fundamental. In fact, annual training aimed at developing skills is confirmed by 60% of respondents and “partially” by a further 21%. Furthermore, 83% of respondents rated the aforementioned skills as “adequate” or “fairly adequate”. Furthermore, 70% of respondents confirm that the diffusion of risk culture, expressed in a set of multiple awareness, promotion and training activities, is a pursued corporate priority. For Tiziana Frittelli, President of Federsanità «the information that emerged in the study produced with Relyens allows us to detect some observation indicators of the actual organizational model of risk management activities present in the structures today, with an approach oriented towards the evidence of the data. Certainly a further, precious, element of reflection and direction on the projects to be developed regarding the safety of care”. «Like Relyens, we believe that proximity to the structures is an essential element to accompany them in their challenges and have a clear and always updated picture of the status quo of our healthcare», added Anna Guerrieri, Risk manager director of Relyens in Italy.