one of “total, egoless support of the common goal: taking safe,
effective care of our patients.”
The health care system and each individual within it, regardless
of area of expertise or role in the care process, acknowledges that
errors will occur and the team will catch potential mistakes before
patient harm might happen. Mr. Nance points out that our current
system has failed because we have failed to convert to a culture of
safety. The basic theme is that “culture kills strategy every time.”
Is it possible to create the type of hospital environment
described in Mr. Nance’s St. Michael’s? This should not be a
question of can it be done, but a clear simple statement that it must
be done. This will not be achieved overnight. It took the airline
industry over a decade to make the cultural changes necessary
to revolutionize safety in aviation. We need to make dramatic
changes within our profession. As physician leaders, we should be
the first to embrace this culture of safety. We must inculcate this
this earnestly and persistently, beginning with professional school
curricula. While we have implemented teaching patient safety
concepts to our medical students, we do not have avenues for
interaction between other professionals such as nursing, pharmacy
and therapy students. These will be our health care colleagues and
partners. We must foster a team approach to patient care at the
earliest stages of the educational process. To prevent mistakes in
the future, we should approach patient care with a team that works
hand-in-hand, collectively, to recognize and mitigate errors. We
must promote a team culture in which all providers and ancillary
staff are encouraged and empowered to voice questions and
concerns. We owe it to our patients.
Then, and only then, will we be able to make hospitals fly.
Dr. Burns is a private practice ophthalmologist. His practice is located in Middletown,
KY under the name of Middletown Eye Care.
concept and its processes into our daily practice, our interaction
with colleagues and with our patients. Let’s remove paternalistic
tendencies and our own hierarchical infrastructure. Let’s teach
Together, in network,
for a healthier Kentucky
www.passporthealthplan.com
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