A Knoweledge Management Approach for Risk Management

The complexity thinking of modern organizations management moves from the classical systemic theory to the business process management approach. This has suggested that relationships between subsystems are more important than the parts themselves and furthermore, minimum specifications yield more creativity than detailed plans. Treating organisations as complex adaptive systems (evolving in a dynamic environment) allows a more productive management style that has been developed also, for the health care organizations. In addition, the preoccupations on risk management have been considered as the core of high quality health care services (as system’s out-put) together with the continuous improvement of the services quality. The goals of risk management are prevention, analysis, decision making, settlement, mitigation, and process improvement. In this context, in the first part of the paper is presented an overview of the risk management approach using conceptual and/or terminological maps that are preliminary steps for a risk management knowledge application. This approach could be useful for the risk mitigation initiatives. In the second part of the paper, through a case study (ambulance and emergency intervention service/process), there are shown the practical implications and results of the risk assessment using the knowledge management proposed approach (11 risks with high values of number risk priority indicator, high probability of occurrence and gravity, were identified together with 9 important causes that determine those risks development). Findings of the practical research done have generated an improved strategy and reaction plan for the ambulance unit, in order to better monitor and control the identified risks.