Culture of Safety and Era of Better Practices

Eileen R. Smith, Shaina Eckhouse

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

Abstract

There remain multiple barriers to achieving the goal of true culture of safety and attaining best practices for patient safety in surgery. These barriers include hierarchical nature of surgical culture, communication disconnects, and the increasing complexity of surgical care. There are, however, several key strategies available to support a culture of safety reviewed here such as organizational policies that work to flatten the hierarchy, support and promote reporting of safety events, and deliver training in areas of communication, leadership, and bias. These efforts can be furthered by utilizing standardized methods for communicating inside and outside the operating room that help to minimize loss of information during care and create ample opportunities for team members to voice concerns. By recognizing the key barriers to a culture of safety and working to overcome them, we can deliver care in an era of better practices while we pursue our ideal.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationThe SAGES Manual of Quality, Outcomes and Patient Safety, Second Edition
PublisherSpringer International Publishing
Pages491-501
Number of pages11
ISBN (Electronic)9783030946104
ISBN (Print)9783030946098
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2022

Keywords

  • Communication
  • Culture of safety
  • Hierarchy
  • Just culture
  • Leadership
  • Teamwork

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