Paper Title
A Comparative Study of the Clinical Risk Management of Public and Private Hospitals in Ghana1

Abstract
Purpose - This study examines clinical risk management in public and private hospitals in Ghana. Method - A multiple case methodology is employed to compare the clinical risk management of public and private hospitals in Ghana. Results – The results of the study reveal that both public and private hospitals in Ghana have clinical risk management policies which comply with the World Health Organization policy on patient safety. However, practices differ in the two types of hospitals;the private hospital uses a global trigger tool to review every patient that visits the facility, irrespective of whether a risk was identified or not, the public sector only implements a clinical risk process in cases where a risk is identified. Also, the challenges in the implementation of clinical risk management differ in the two types of hospitals. The public hospital was challenged with institutional culture and leadership, resource constraintsas well as complex working environment. In the case of the private hospital, the challenge is in respect of structure, which tends to constrain the implementation of clinical risk management practices.Overall, the private hospital has been more effective in the clinical risk management of the facility compared with the public hospital. Conclusion - Findings of this study provide a basis to shape the policy framework for effective and efficient clinical risk management, as well as addressing identified gaps in risk management practices across both hospital types as a measure of quality improvement. Keywords - Clinical Risk Management, Hospitals, Patient, Policy,Ghana