Unintended outcomes of health care delivery and the need for a national risk management approach.

Unlike the situation in occupational health and safety, there is no nationally coordinated approach to risk management to prevent unintended outcomes of health care provision and improve health care quality. There is a related absence of linkages between quality assurance process, other programs aimed at patient injury prevention and professional indemnity insurance systems. This article discusses the Australian health policy direction and argues for a coordinated national health risk management approach developed through contract requirements which include duty of care and information provision, nationally approved standards and codes, professional liability requirements, and supporting health education, research and information technology development.