"Plans are worthless, but planning is everything": advancing patient safety by better managing the paradox of planning versus adaptation.

R. Christopher Call; Samuel G Espiritu; David A Barrows

Commentary

"Plans are worthless, but planning is everything": advancing patient safety by better managing the paradox of planning versus adaptation.

March 6, 2024

Call RC, Espiritu SG, Barrows DA. Int Anesthesiol Clin. 2024;62(2):9-15.

View more articles from the same authors.

The Safety-II principle focuses on learning from what goes right in the healthcare system. The authors posit that provider adaptability, not inflexible policies, can improve safety in times of uncertainty. They describe several systems-based theories (e.g., high-reliability, crew resource management) that can be applied to healthcare delivery.

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