Cultural change needed to reduce errors - Short Takes - Brief Article

Physician Executive, May-June, 2000 by James A. Hawkins

Safety-Centered Solutions, Inc. (SCS), a Tampa-based firm, says that the executive leadership in hospitals needs to learn how to cultivate a "no blame" culture. By implementing data-driven education and awareness programs on an enterprise-wide basis, organizations can detect medical error patterns, measure systemic causes, and reduce both errors and costs.

According to David Spencer, SCS's CEO, reducing medical errors is a simple process but requires diligence and commitment. He says, "We can learn an enormous amount about how to change culture and reduce human error from other industries, such as aviation, electronics, and manufacturing. All of these industries have brought about stunning improvements in reducing errors. Health care can do the same."

James A. Hawkins is Publisher of Healthcare Briefings, a newsletter available in print, on cossette, via fax, and on computer disk He can be reached at 800/338-5486.