Medical Scope Creep
What is medical scope creep?
How does it affect you and your ability to advocate for yourself and your loved ones?
Medical practice scope creep refers to the gradual expansion of the duties and responsibilities of healthcare providers beyond their initial training and expertise.
Medical scope creep can occur in many different ways, but the most common is when healthcare providers take on tasks outside of their original job description, such as administering medications or performing procedures that they are not trained or qualified to perform. This can have a significant impact on patient advocacy and the quality of care that patients receive.
In this blog post, we will explore the effects of medical practice scope creep on patient advocacy and how it can be prevented.
Scope of Practice
Patient advocacy is an important part of healthcare and is defined as the act of speaking on behalf of patients to ensure that their needs and rights are protected.
In order to be effective, advocates must have a clear understanding of the healthcare system, including the roles and responsibilities of different healthcare providers. However, when medical practice scope creep occurs, this can create confusion and blur the lines of responsibility, making it more difficult for advocates to effectively speak up for themselves and their loved ones.
Why Does Scope Creep Matter?
The American Medical Association suggests defining scope of practice as a term to describe the boundaries of each health care professional’s work. Those boundaries are defined by education, training, certifications and licensing.
According to Dr. Camp-Rogers of the American Medical Association, “It is unsafe for anyone to practice outside their scope because they don’t have standardized training or experience to guarantee safety.”
For example, if a nurse is asked to administer a medication that they are not trained to administer, they may make a mistake that could harm the patient. Similarly, if a physician is asked to perform a procedure that they are not qualified to perform, the patient may not receive the appropriate level of care and their advocate may be powerless to do anything about it.
Scope creep can also have a negative impact on patient safety and the quality of care that patients receive. When healthcare providers are asked to perform tasks outside of their training and expertise, they may not have the necessary knowledge, skills, or equipment to perform the task safely and effectively. This can lead to medical errors and adverse events, which can result in harm to the patient and increased healthcare costs.
Additionally, medical practice scope creep can lead to burnout and decreased job satisfaction among healthcare providers.
When providers are asked to perform tasks that are beyond their training and expertise, they may feel overwhelmed and stressed, which can result in decreased job satisfaction and increased turnover. This, in turn, can lead to decreased quality of care and decreased patient advocacy.
As an example, the Society of Hospital Medicine explains, “Hospitalists are frequently asked to admit and take responsibility for patients with conditions outside of the traditional domain of Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, and Pediatrics with minimal specialist support. Lack of specialty knowledge for unfamiliar and high-acuity conditions can create feelings of helplessness and frustration in hospitalists. Simultaneously, this can undermine their relationships with patients who may question their competence.”
How to Prevent Scope Creep
In order to prevent medical practice scope creep and its negative impact on patient advocacy, it’s important to clearly define the roles and responsibilities of different healthcare providers.
Definition of roles and responsibilities can be done by establishing clear policies and procedures that outline the tasks that each provider is trained and qualified to perform. Additionally, healthcare organizations can provide ongoing training and education to ensure that providers are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to perform their duties effectively.
Another way to prevent medical practice scope creep is to provide adequate staffing levels. When there are not enough healthcare providers to meet the needs of patients, providers may be asked to perform tasks that are outside of their training and expertise.
By ensuring that there are enough healthcare providers to meet the needs of patients, providers can focus on the tasks that they are trained and qualified to perform, reducing the risk of scope creep.
How Patient Advocates Can Help
How do you, as a patient advocate, know the person you or your loved one is seeing has the right training?
Ask questions.
– Is this a physician led team?
– Who coordinates care?
– Will a medical doctor review the record of this medical visit?
– May I see a medical doctor?
– What are your qualifications for seeing patients in this office/specialty?
If you are ever unsure that the best care is being delivered, don’t be afraid to share your concern with the provider and practice office.
Ask all the questions you need to feel confident that the provider is qualified and appropriate for the situation.
Healthcare organizations can encourage open communication and collaboration between healthcare providers to ensure that the needs and interests of patients are protected. By promoting an environment of teamwork and collaboration, healthcare providers can work together to ensure that patients receive the highest quality of care possible, and that patient advocacy is protected.
Conclusion
Medical practice scope creep can have a significant impact on patient advocacy and the quality of care that patients receive.
By establishing clear roles and responsibilities, providing ongoing training and education, ensuring adequate staffing levels, and promoting open communication and collaboration, healthcare organizations can help prevent scope creep and protect the interests of patients.
By doing so, we can ensure that patients receive the best possible care and be confident as we advocate for them.
Not sure what questions to ask? Download our FREE 7 Questions Everyone Should Ask at a Doctor Appointment. Click HERE to get your download now.
Recent Comments