Training Medical and Nursing Students for Patient Safety
Download this Article The Complexities of Diagnosis – Understanding How and Why we Fail There is one additional element of medical and nursing education reform that we have not yet considered and that...
View ArticleCommunication, Communication, Communication
Download this Article Why is it so complicated when it comes to patient safety? In real estate there is a common dictum about what most makes a property desirable – “location, location, location”. In...
View ArticleCommunication and Patient Safety
Download this Article She said I said what? Sometimes, even when we try to explain things very carefully the message does not really get through. I have often sensed this happening during a...
View ArticleThe “Transition Confusion” – A dance sensation that is sweeping the nation
Download this Article Transitions in care represent potential weak links that couple together the complex array of care options that patients may encounter as they traverse the modern healthcare...
View ArticleWorking with Patients for Safety
Download this Article “What I believe matters a lot.” When clinicians talk with patients we bring our compassion and knowledge to the table. Patients, our partners in achieving outcomes, bring their...
View ArticleInformed Consent, Patient Safety and Navigating Stormy Seas
Download this Article “Doctor, what would you do if Sally were your child?” Hospitals are dangerous, encumbered by system inefficiencies and human factors affecting performance. Despite all the hazards...
View Article“Culture of Candour” trumps “Duty of Candour”
Download this Article The Government of England recently passed legislation requiring institutions to inform patients, and/or other appropriate parties, of instances where patients have been harmed as...
View ArticleStereotyping and Communication – Keeping an Eye on the Prize
Download this Article Our ability to communicate effectively and compassionately in a multicultural society is influenced by many factors. Our ability to be successful requires us to be diligent and to...
View ArticlePatient Safety at the End of Life – The Importance of “That” Conversation #1
Download this Article Sadly, too many patients and too many doctors and nurses do not navigate end-of-life care issues succinctly or even compassionately, and failure to do so can result in enormous...
View ArticlePatient Safety at the End of Life – The Importance of “That” Conversation #2
Download this Article Last month I began the story of end of life discussions and the importance of setting the stage for these conversations before they become urgent matters at hand. I presented the...
View ArticleFailures in Communication – “…things we don’t know we don’t know”
Download this Article In this final commentary on communication challenges, I would like to address some egregious instances where communication of important facts simply never occurred, resulting in...
View ArticleWe’re following the leader wherever he may go…”
Download this Article “Following the leader, the leader, the leader, We’re following the leader wherever he may go…” (for better or for worse) You will no doubt remember the song the Lost Boys were...
View ArticleAuthenticity in Leadership – An Enabler for Patient Safety
Download this Article Highly effective, high-impact leaders are those who make a difference by setting institutional tone, establishing institutional culture and moving performance into zones of...
View ArticleKeeping Patients Safe – Leadership and Medical Ethics
Download this Article I am a physician and therefore obliged to my patients. I was nurtured on this during my training, and the guiding principles of medical ethics have served as the foundation for my...
View ArticleKeeping Eyes on the Prize – Engaging all the Moving Parts for Higher Reliability
Download this Article Higher Reliability Organizations are those that anticipate things may go wrong and have developed cultures focusing on safety and continuous improvements. A key element in such...
View ArticleEnabling Joy and Meaning – Contributing to Safety and Quality
Download this Article There is another element of leadership that relates very poignantly to the concept of authenticity I raised in the January commentary1. This is the relationship between hospital...
View ArticleLeadership and the Just Culture – Holding the Keys to Safety, Joy and Meaning
Download this Article Leaders are responsible for establishing and sustaining the culture of an institution. They are accountable for monitoring the institution’s cultural rhythm. With strong...
View ArticleJoining Datix – May 2016
Download this Article In March last year, the Morecambe Bay Investigation report was published. The report looked at the care and treatment of mothers and babies at the maternity unit at Furness...
View ArticleJust how short is an organisation’s memory?
Download this Article Sixteen years after an Organisation with a Memory was published, Jonathan Hazan Director at Datix, takes a closer look at what has been achieved in that time and what still needs...
View ArticleLeadership and Management – It’s all about clarity
Download this Article Leadership often is viewed as something emanating from the top and filtering downward. However, effective leadership is more about colleagues working together, buy-in and...
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