This course is not for Florida Psychologists. Psychologists looking to meet the medical errors requirement should take Preventing Medical Errors: Best Practices for Mental Health Professionals – Psychologists E040MP.
Course Summary
Practice Level: Intermediate
Medical errors represent a critical and pervasive challenge within the healthcare system, posing threats to patient safety and compromising the quality of care. These errors can occur at any stage of the healthcare process, from diagnosis and treatment to medication administration and post-operative care. While medical errors in mental health care are less visible than those in other medical specialties, they still have significant consequences for clients. It is essential that mental health providers understand the multifaceted nature of medical errors. This learning material—designed for social workers, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, and counselors—provides information about medical errors common in behavioral health settings and prevention and responses in behavioral health care settings.
Clinicians can apply the Joint Commission’s National Patient Safety Goals for behavioral health along with the root cause analysis processes when working with patients to prevent medical errors. This learning material discusses these targeted prevention strategies as well as the errors specific to mental health care, including incompetence, failure to report abuse, and errors related to the assessment of suicide risk and medical conditions. Upon completion of this course, providers will gain the knowledge necessary to reduce medical errors and prioritize the safety of their clients. Further, medical errors may result in adjustment and stress exposure symptoms and, therefore, mental health professionals may be called upon to support fellow providers who have been affected by medical errors in their professional roles.
As a result of an increase in awareness of medical error incidents, in 2001 Florida passed a law mandating that all healthcare professionals and those working as members of an extended healthcare team in Florida complete a course on the topic of prevention of medical errors (Florida Senate Statutes, 2011). This learning material is designed to satisfy the requirements of the Florida law and will examine the effects of medical errors on patients in mental health settings. It will reference best practices and ethical guidelines that can help to reduce and prevent medical errors.
Course Format
This course contains downloadable online lessons (PDF) and a practice test. When you’re ready, purchase the course by clicking the “Add To Cart” or “Enroll” button. This will let you take the test, complete the course evaluation and receive your certificate for CE credits.
Learning Objectives
- Recognize the Joint Commission’s National Patient Safety Goals for behavioral health, approaches to prevent medical errors, and the consequences of medical errors.
- Explain root cause analysis processes to evaluate medical errors.
- Describe the ethical guidelines related to competence, including multicultural competence, informed consent, confidentiality, and mandated reporting.
- Describe suicide assessment and assessment of medical conditions that present as psychological problems.
Course Syllabus
- Introduction
- Overview of Medical Errors
- Definition of Medical Errors
- Sentinel Events
- Medical Errors and Malpractice
- Root Cause Analysis
- Competence
- Cultural Competence
- Informed Consent
- Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act
- Confidentiality
- Mandatory Abuse Reporting
- Duty to Protect
- Responding to Suicide Risk
- Failure to Detect Medical Conditions
- Medication Errors
- Misdiagnosis
- Summary
Authors
Heidi Dalzell, Psy.D.
Heidi Dalzell, Psy.D. is a psychologist in private practice specializing in eating disorders, as well as dual addictions, trauma, domestic violence and depression. She conducts individual and couples therapy with adolescent and adult clients. In addition to authoring numerous mental health courses she frequently blogs and writes newspaper articles about mental health topics.
Lys Hunt, MSW, LICSW
M. Lys Hunt, MSW, LICSW is a licensed independent clinical social worker who has been practicing social work for over 20 years. She earned her master’s degree from the Boston University School of Social Work and completed a post graduate fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital. Her clinical work specializes in the areas of mental health and child and family welfare.
Accreditation Approval Statements
CE4Less.com, provider #1115, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 8/8/24-8/8/27.
Social workers completing this course receive 2 ethics continuing education credits.
This course has been approved by CE4Less.com, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits. NAADAC Provider #91345, CE4Less.com is responsible for all aspects of the programing.
CE4Less.com has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6991. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CE4Less.com is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
Level Education Group, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0835.
We are committed to providing our learners with unbiased information. CE4Less never accepts commercial support and our authors have no significant financial or other conflicts of interest pertaining to the material.
