Page 61 - Petelin, Ana, ur. 2024. Zdravje delovno aktivnih in starejših odraslih / Health of Working-Age and Older Adults. Zbornik povzetkov z recenzijo ▪︎ Book of Abstracts. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem/University of Primorska Press

Invited lecture

A systemic view of health risk management

Lilijana Vouk Grbac
Valdoltra Orthopaedic Hospital, Ankaran, Slovenia

Introduction and purpose: The concept of health, impacts on health and the provision of
health needs can be considered from different perspectives, either as the importance
of health for a person or society, as maintaining or improving health, or as a human -
a system connected and included in various environmental systems. Recognizing and
managing health risks enables timely action to prevent or reduce the consequences.
In order to understand the risks or consequences on an individual’s health, it is neces-
sary to be aware of the complexity of the human being as a whole.
Content presentation: Health is one of the most valued aspects of human life. We usu-
ally accept it as a natural given, as a self-evident and normal condition, until pain and
illness appears or we feel that it is more difficult to cope with everyday activities, per-
ception or adaptation to environmental influences for various reasons. From the point
of view of treating man as a system that is included and connected to several systems
in the environment, with which it forms a common system, it is also necessary to un-
derstand the dynamics and the theory of systems. Living systems, such as a human
body or a tree or a society, are not just a collection of parts, but are constantly grow-
ing and changing, along with their parts. Preventive management of possible or identi-
fied risks in production and service processes in industry is one of the most important
foundations of an effective system organization. It reduces costs due to production er-
rors, raises quality, increases customer confidence. In health care, the introduction of
this principle is being undertaken more slowly. The reasons stem from lax processes
and roles of medical personnel, as well as systemically inefficient preventive problem
identification and risk management. The complexity of medical processes, in addition
to the patient’s specificity and uniqueness, offers an excuse against the standardization
of procedures. The fact is that each person perceives the concept of health in his own
way. It also describes pain or experiencing illness in a subjective way.
The relationship and trust between the patient and the healthcare professional is cru-
cial. In addition, adequate and sufficient resources must be provided for the implemen- prehrana in zdravje delovno aktivnih in starejših odraslih | nutrition and health of working-age and older adults
tation of all necessary activities in the related processes of the system, such as com-
petent personnel, adequate equipment, adequate operating rooms, air cleanliness,
sterility of medical devices, timely and relevant information, and others. The process
of nutritional care of a hospitalized patient is part of the health care system, which in-
cludes identifying the patient’s needs in terms of health and nutritional status, prepar-
ing adequate and sufficient food according to the prescribed diet, and managing all
risks to the safety and quality of care.
Key findings: Awareness of the benefits of a systemic approach to risk management is
transitioning from industry to service sectors, such as healthcare. In this context, the
involvement of employees, the level of awareness of the importance of risks and their
management, leadership and, last but not least, the available and properly managed
resources that provide adequate conditions for the implementation of all necessary
activities in the related processes of the system are crucial.
Keywords: system, risk management, healthcare, nutrition care process

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