How to Develop a Culture of Patient Safety in Healthcare

Developing a culture of [ patient safety ]

Our dedication to patient fall prevention is

[ always on ]

Developing a culture of patient safety in healthcare is all about teamwork and commitment. The culture will not shift unless all parties actively choose to engage in and embrace the change – leadership, caregivers and, yes, even patients.

Commitment of Leadership to Patient Safety

In healthcare facilities, as in most any other organization, change starts at the top. Leaders must demonstrate that safety is a top priority, not just in words, but in actions. Some tactics that can help show leadership’s commitment to patient safety include:

Ensuring that safety is formally prioritized and communicated as a strategic plan for the organization
Implementing a Survey on Patient Safety (SOPS) to all staff
Establishing Rapid Response Teams
Undergoing formal training and engaging in Executive Walk Arounds
Committing budget and resources to improving patient safety through technology

CareView assists organizations in designing a fall prevention program that meets both patient safety goals and sitter cost reduction objectives.

Empowering Caregivers to Engage and Act

No other party is more vital in creating a culture of patient safety in healthcare than the caregivers on the floor. Without their understanding and acceptance of the safety program and processes, any safety initiative will not be successful. Some ways to help caregivers actively engage in patient safety programs include:

Empowering and encouraging safety training and retraining
Encouraging reporting in a nonpunitive environment
Learning from both errors and near misses
Implementing a program of acknowledgement and rewards
Creating a blameless environment

CareView offers a robust training program to assist caregivers in quickly learning and mastering the CareView Patient Safety System.

Incorporating Patients into the Safety Culture

An important strategy in developing a safety culture is to involve the patients themselves. Engaging and educating patients on relevant areas of safety and actively listening to patients are critical to supporting patient safety initiatives. Here are ways healthcare organizations can facilitate a patient-centric approach to safety:

Actively involving patients in their own care
Educating and reeducating patients on the risks of not following doctors' orders
Encouraging family and friends to assist and engage in patient safety
Teaching patients to recognize and help detect adverse events
Including patient representatives in the design of safety systems

As an integral part of the CareView Patient Safety System, the SitterView® monitoring hub offers 1- and 2-way patient communication to minimize patient risk and encourage patient satisfaction.

Find Out How the CareView Patient Safety System Can Play a Vital Role in Developing a Culture of Patient Safety.

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