One of the first steps for keeping patients safe is to change the culture in which doctors are asked to report the mistakes they make, writes Dr. Pauline Chen in todays Doctor and Patient column.
Incident reports, described to us on our first day on the job as a tool for decreasing errors and increasing transparency, became a way for others in the hospital to hang the residents out to dry. Even now, my heart skips a beat when I hear the words incident report.
But over the last decade, hospitals have increasingly made patient safety a priority. Incorporating the lessons learned in high-risk industries like aviation and nuclear energy, medical centers across the country have begun promoting protocols, procedures and checklists to prevent health care errors. Chief among these initiatives has been a push for greater disclosure and transparency and less fear.
To learn more, read the full column, Learning to Keep Patients Safe in a Culture of Fear, and then please join the discussion below. If youre a health care worker, tell us about your experiences reporting medical errors.
