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Commentary
Why talking is not cheap: adverse events and informal communication.
April 17, 2024
Montgomery A, Lainidi O, Georganta K. Healthcare (Basel). 2024;12(6):635.
A strong safety culture relies on staff formally reporting or speaking up about adverse events (AE), yet valid reasons exist to explain why staff may choose not to. This article argues that although staff may not be using formal channels to report AE, they are engaging in informal communication. Using high-profile adverse events, the authors describe the important role gossip plays in sense-making and how leadership would do well to listen to this informal communication.
