Crisis Management in Healthcare (Part 3): A Rare Blood Disorder Emergency

Dr. Deepa Bhide, PMP is a physician and currently an independent healthcare IT and project management consultant. She has a postgraduate degree in Pediatrics and Neonatology from the University of Health Sciences, India. Deepa is an advocate of using project management in healthcare and related domains. She has worked extensively in the confluence of clinical medicine, IT and project management domains with hands-on experience in managing projects from conception to closure.

  Artificial Intelligence   Communications Management   Healthcare   Lessons Learned   Risk Management  

This is the third installment in the Crisis Management in Healthcare series. Read Part 1: From Food Poisoning to Community Kitchen Project and Part 2: Mid-Air Medical Emergency.

Projects often appear out of the blue! An unexpected incident often leads to further investigation and a collaborative research project.

This article recounts a personal experience treating a 6-year-old patient with methemoglobinemia, a rare blood disorder caused by accidental ingestion of paint thinner.

This incident triggered "Project Methemoglobinemia" to fill the gaps in emergency care, focusing on a comprehensive training program, resources and infrastructure, and easily accessible documentation.

The training project benefited the medical students and physicians and better prepared them to handle rare medical diagnoses in emergencies. The article emphasizes the need for healthcare information technology support, a project management framework, and real-time risk assessment to manage such complex medical cases efficiently.

It highlights the importance of maintaining situational awareness and controlling emotions in high-stakes environments. It also addresses how artificial intelligence has a role to play in the diagnosis, treatment and awareness of methemoglobinemia, ultimately leading to better outcomes for affected individuals.

The Incident
As …

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