Contributions to risk management in the health sector in Colombia

Abstract

Background: the organizations that compose health systems, must implement risk management to accomplish their goals. There is a normative framework for this, which supports resilience to events that affect the population´s health, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: National and international norms related to risk management in the health sector were selected. Then, was conducted a narrative review focused on the resilience of health organizations in the face of major events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Outcomes: Risk management allows health organizations to maintain continuity and quality of care by identifying events that may affect the population. When health insurance companies implement the continuity system, administrative and operational actors get organized around the prioritized activities. On the other hand, in the provision of health services, the organizations can evaluate the technical, physical, and human resources they need to deal with an emergency and thus build with anticipation the capabilities to respond effectively in front of these situations. Conclusions: risk management is a constant and systematic process that allows to anticipate and act proactively; thus, by implementing this methodology, health organizations comply with the regulatory framework of the health system, provide high-quality care by effectively using resources, and contribute to resilience from the strategic to the operational level.