This issue focuses on promoting teamwork as a way to cross the cultural boundaries and professional silos that pervade most hospitals and can make them unreceptive to implementing the kinds of changes that lead to safer, better care.
Communication, team culture, shift reports, sign outs and other forms of information exchange have been identified as potential weak links that increase the likelihood of hospital errors. Learn how to identify potential trouble spots, and how to apply proven techniques such as "SBAR" that will increase clarity and focus in your internal communications.
When you need to get something done safely and well in a complex and risky environment there is no substitute for active, ongoing, heartfelt leadership. This issue deals with how to engage senior leadership, and a range of tools management can use to promote a culture of safety.
Two-thirds of hospital staff believe their mistakes are held against them. This issue examines the prevailing, toxic environment of blame in hospitals, and how that environment interferes with careful error analysis. A host of carefully chosen resources will help you move from a culture of blame to one of learning and safety.
Following on from our previous issue on moving away from a culture of blame, this issue studies how to build an effective system of error-reporting, examines the benefits of transparency, and provides guidance on overcoming the barriers to change.
Findings from the American Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Hospital Survey on Patient Safety indicate that we don't provide enough communication and feedback about errors. How do we communicate the data provided by enhanced error reporting systems to make care delivery better and safer? In this issue we're going to examine and propose answers to the question, "Now that I have good data, how do I proceed?"
The patient safety dimensions that reflect various hospital processes are:
* Overall perceptions of safety.
* Event reporting.
* Supervisor/manager expectations & actions promoting patient safety.
* Organizational learning-continuous improvement.
* Teamwork within units.
* Communication.
* Feedback & communication about error.
* Nonpunitive response to error.
* Staffing.
* Hospital management support for patient safety.
* Teamwork across hospital units.
* Hospital handoffs & transitions.