“Safety cases” are used in healthcare and other industries to communicate the safety of a product, system, or service. In this study, researchers use the “safety case” approach to evaluate the safety of the Safer Clinical Systems program, which is designed to improve the safety and reliability of clinical pathways.  

The Francis report served as a call to action for improvement, following its recording of elements contributing to systemic failure within the British National Health Service (NHS). This commentary considers the overarching problems that still exist at the NHS and that listening, learning, and leadership involvement are core elements for driving and realizing lasting change throughout the system.

Patient identification mistakes can have serious consequences. Using the Systems Engineering for Patient Safety (SEIPS) framework, this qualitative study explored systems factors contributing to patient identification errors during intrahospital transfers. The authors found that patient identification was not completed according to hospital policy during any of the 60 observed patient transfer handoffs. Miscommunication and lack of key patient information were common factors contributing to identification errors.

Patient engagement and encouragement to speak up about their care can promote patient safety. This qualitative study explored patients’ psychosocial experiences after surviving abdominal surgery complications. Findings highlight an overarching theme of vulnerability and how power imbalances between patients and healthcare professionals can influence speaking up behaviors.

… a sense of normalcy for their children. … Soto C, Dixon-Woods M, Tarrant C. Families’ experiences of central-line …

… whether an incident is considered a voiceable concern. … Dixon-Woods M, Aveling EL, Campbell A, et al. What counts as a voiceable …

… can lead to organizational failures. … Martin GP, Chew S, Dixon-Woods M. Why do systems for responding to concerns and …

… can motivate and support speaking up behaviors. … Wu F, Dixon-Woods M, Aveling EL, et al. The role of the informal and formal …

This study explored the role of machine-learning based clinical decision support (CDS) algorithms to support (rather than replace) human decision-making and the impact on diagnostic performance. This systematic review of 37 studies found limited evidence that the use of machine learning-based CDS systems contributes to improved diagnostic performance among clinicians. Interobserver agreement, user feedback, and clinician override were the most commonly reported outcomes. The authors emphasize the importance of further evaluation of human-computer interaction.

Maternal harm is a sentinel event and improving maternal safety is receiving increased attention in both policy and clinical settings. The researchers used qualitative methods to generate a new plain language framework identifying safe behaviors and practices in inpatient maternity units. Several synergistic features were identified including a commitment to safety culture; technical competence; teamwork, cooperation, and positive working relationships.  

This review synthesized research exploring how operational failures (e.g., distractions, situational constraints) in primary care affect the work of primary care physicians. The literature suggests that operational failures are common, and the gap between what physicians perceive that they should be doing and what they were doing (“work-as-imagined” vs, “work-as-done”) is largely attributed to operational failures over which the primary care physicians had limited control. The authors suggest that future research focus on which operational failures have the highest impact in primary care settings in order to prioritize areas for targeted improvement.

After findings of gross negligence, the National Health Service (NHS) introduced ‘Freedom to Speak Up Guardians’ to lead safety culture change with the ultimate goal that speaking up about safety issues becomes the norm. The authors used semi-structured interviews with 51 individuals (e.g., Guardians, clinicians, policymakers/regulators, etc.) to describe the rollout of the Guardians. These interviews revealed that the role of the Guardians is rich in potential but that the initial narrow role of addressing only quality and safety concerns was not consistent with the myriad of complex issues brought to them and may indicate the need to expand the role definition.

… PSNet interview featured the study's senior author, Mary Dixon-Woods. …

Investigations into medical mistakes that result in patient harm should be fair, complete, and consider the context of the event. This commentary examines investigation processes in the United Kingdom and highlights the importance of understanding how human factors contribute to error to help effectively assess each incident and support transparency and improvement.

Disruptive and unprofessional behaviors are known threats to safety culture and contribute to burnout among health professionals. In response to an episode of serious misconduct by a clinician, an academic hospital implemented a structured effort to address disruptive behavior by developing mechanisms for frontline staff to voice their concerns. This article reports on the development and implementation of the effort, which focused on addressing longstanding aspects of institutional culture that were perceived as tolerating—and providing tacit endorsement of—prominent leaders who engaged in disruptive behavior.

… to improvement. A PSNet interview with senior author Mary Dixon-Woods expanded on the need to shape culture to foster …

Maternal harm is a sentinel event that has garnered increased attention in both policy and clinical environments. This qualitative study combined direct observation and interviews to understand the characteristics that enabled a high-performing maternity ward to achieve their excellent safety outcomes. Investigators identified a set of specific, evidence-based safety practices including standardization, monitoring, and emphasis on technical skill. They also identified a strong and consistent safety culture and noted that structural conditions, such as staffing levels and the physical environment, supported safe outcomes. The authors conclude that all of these factors influence each other and jointly produce safety. A recent Annual Perspective summarized national initiatives to improve safety in maternity care.

The United Kingdom National Health Service (NHS) is known for both patient safety achievements and failures. This commentary discusses the unique opportunity the NHS embodies to improve practice. Highlighting system-level challenges due to lack of resources and funding, the author describes the role of health care professions in fostering continued achievements through the application of improvement science.

… or assessing feasibility and effectiveness . … Lamé G, Dixon-Woods M. Using clinical simulation to study how to improve …

Measuring patient safety is critical to improvement. This ethnographic study examined the implementation of a patient safety measurement program in the United Kingdom, the NHS Safety Thermometer, which measured incidence of pressure ulcers, harm from falls, catheter-associated urinary tract infection, and venous thromboembolism, with the goal of informing local improvement efforts. Investigators sought to examine how the measurement program was perceived by frontline staff. Despite the explicit emphasis on using the data for improvement, it was viewed as an external reporting requirement. The program was also viewed as a basis to compare organizations, especially because it included pay-for-performance incentives. The authors suggest that the intention of the program did not match the real-world considerations of participating health care systems and had the unintended consequence of creating potential for blame.