After a long holiday spent mostly indoors because of the rain, I am finally back at work. Today also happens to be an important day: the laboratory department for which I am responsible is undergoing an assessment. Thinking about my role in that process has led me to a broader question. In healthcare, each of us has our own specialized task—but how often do we stop to consider where that task fits into the whole?
Back at work after a long break.
It rained for most of the holiday, keeping me indoors, but perhaps that was not such a bad thing after all. At least I had plenty of time to rest.
Still, I wonder how long this seemingly endless stretch of rainy weather will continue.
Severe flooding has caused extensive damage in many parts of southern Kanto.
My heartfelt sympathies go out to everyone affected.
I am a little sleepy this morning, but now that I have started writing my blog, my mind is gradually waking up.
Today, my first day back after the holiday, the laboratory department for which I am responsible is undergoing an assessment, so I am heading to work almost an hour earlier than usual.
Despite being a little out of rhythm after the long break, I managed not to oversleep and safely caught an earlier train.
Although I am officially the person in charge, much of the actual management of laboratory techniques and quality is handled by the medical technologists who perform the tests. For that reason, I had tended to think of my position as largely nominal.
Recently, however, things have begun to change, and those in positions of responsibility are increasingly expected to play a more substantial role.
Risk management, in particular, is something in which we must actively participate.
In other words, all healthcare professionals working in the laboratory must work together to maintain the quality of laboratory testing and improve patient safety.
We can no longer say that doctors need only concern themselves with the patients in front of them.
Or rather, caring for individual patients means taking responsibility for one part of healthcare. Healthcare as a whole does not end there.
Each healthcare professional is expected not only to take responsibility for one part of healthcare, but also to participate in the whole.
What part of healthcare does the work I am doing right now represent?
And where does that part fit into the whole?
Perhaps we need to do our own work while always keeping the bigger picture in view.
This has somehow turned into a rehearsal for my interview during today's assessment.
Still, I would like to approach my daily work with that broader perspective in mind.
We each take responsibility for one part of healthcare—but we must never lose sight of the whole.
・・・
undergo an assessment — 審査・評価を受ける。undergo は検査、治療、審査などを「受ける」という意味。
extensive damage — 甚大な被害。広い範囲に及ぶ大きな被害を表す。
out of rhythm — いつもの調子が戻っていない状態。「連休ボケ」のニュアンスを自然に表現。
nominal — 名目上の、名ばかりの。a largely nominal position で「実質的役割の少ない役職」。
risk management — リスクマネジメント、危機・リスク管理。医療安全や品質管理でも一般的な用語。
medical technologist — 臨床検査技師。国や制度によって medical laboratory scientist などの呼称も使われる。
patient safety — 医療安全、患者安全。
the bigger picture — 全体像、大局。「全体を俯瞰する」という本文の中心的な考えを表す自然な表現。
#Healthcare #PatientSafety #RiskManagement #LaboratoryMedicine #QualityManagement #Kamakura #JapanesePathologist
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