emergencies
In-Office Emergency: Are You and Your Staff Prepared?
Taking a preemptive approach to this situation will leave you better prepared to deal with
unexpected crises.
KENNETH A. YOUNG, O.D.,
Webster's dictionary defines emergencies as unforeseen
events or conditions requiring prompt action. Consider the following scenario: It's
4:30 p.m. on December 23. You and your staff are 30 minutes away from your Christmas
holiday, when suddenly and without warning, your last patient of the day, an 80-year-old
grandmother, slumps over in the chair and becomes unresponsive.
Would you and your staff know what to do? Would there be panic
in the office or would a plan of action go into effect? If you practice long enough,
you are sure to encounter some type of emergency in your office. There are three
main components to dealing with any emergency: be prepared, develop a plan and practice.
Preparation is key
The first component is to be prepared. This begins before the
patient comes to your office. Set a time for you and your staff to take a CPR course
together. This is relatively inexpensive and can be accomplished in your office
in a couple of hours. If you don't know someone personally who is certified to teach
the course, call the American Heart Association, the Red Cross or your local ambulance/fire
department for suggestions. You may also want to consider a basic first aid course.
Both of these courses will benefit you in the office, but also may one day help
you or a staff member save a loved one's life at home. Put together a first aid
kit of your own or purchase one from the store. We don't work around a lot of blood,
but when your contact lens technician slices her hand while opening a box with a
pair of scissors, you will be thankful you planned ahead. Assess your office for
objects that can be broken, dropped or encounter other potential problems, should
some of your younger patients reach them.
Action speaks loudest
The next key is to develop a plan of action. Everyone in the office
should have one or more specific duties should an emergency occur. Often in times
of crisis, individuals may panic or lose their focus on what their job is. So having
two people assigned to call 911, for example, is not a bad idea. Someone should
assist the doctor or staff member who is attending to the patient. Someone should
call 911 and serve as a "lookout" for emergency service personnel or first responders.
In some offices, the "back office" is separated from the "front
office." Is there a way for staff in these locations to communicate should an emergency
occur? In our office, we operate on a light system. When all of the lights come
on and flash several times, everyone in the office knows to drop what they are doing
and find the emergency. It's our signal that someone needs assistance with a patient
and cannot leave him or her. You should never leave a patient in an emergent crisis
unless it is absolutely necessary. Therefore, it is vital to have some way to communicate
with other areas in your office.
Once
an emergency has occurred, all of your attention should be directed to the individual
in crisis until it is resolved. Review your plan every six months or so to make
sure everyone knows his or her role. If you hire new employees, make sure they are
aware of the plan and assign them responsibilities as well.
Update regularly
Lastly, continue to update your CPR/first aid certification. Even
though you may have taken the course several times, things change. Occasionally,
the Red Cross or the American Heart Association will change and update their guidelines
for CPR. It's important to keep up with these changes. Set some time aside to practice
the plan. Let the staff know that occasionally you will have an in-office drill
to evaluate their responses. By practicing and staying current with your certification,
you and your staff will be better prepared to handle an emergency situation should
one occur.
Dr. Young serves
as an adjunct faculty member at the Southern College of Optometry and has worked
as a clinical investigator for the FDA and ophthalmic manufacturers.
Optometric Management, Issue: September 2006