Healthcare providers may decide to speak up or remain silent about patient safety concerns based on the expected response of the recipient. In this study, clinicians from multiple disciplines responded to two hypothetical speaking up scenarios to explore the impact of communication behavior and speaker characteristics (e.g., discipline, seniority, presence of others) on the recipient’s intended response. Each of the factors played a role in how the clinician received the message and how they would respond.

Operating room (OR) “black boxes”;– which combine continuous monitoring of intraoperative data with video and audio recording of operative procedures – are increasingly used to improve clinical and team performance. This study surveyed OR professionals in Denmark and Canada about safety attitudes and privacy concerns regarding OR black box use. Participants were primarily concerned with safety climate and teamwork in the OR and use of OR black boxes can support learning and improvements in these areas. The North American cohort expressed more concerns about data safety.

… communication in interprofessional emergency teams: a cross-sectional observation study on the use of closed-loop …

Negative emotions can adversely impact perception of both patient safety and personal risks. In this study, emergency nurses were surveyed about their emotions (e.g., afraid, calm), emotional suppression and reappraisal behaviors, and perceived risk of personal and patient safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nurses reported feeling both positive and negative emotions, but only negative emotions were significantly associated with greater perception of risk.

… is a cornerstone to sustained safety improvements . This cross-sectional study explored nurses’ perceptions about … MT.  Predictors and outcomes of patient safety culture: a cross-sectional comparative study. BMJ Open Qual. …

As patients increasingly access their electronic health records, they often identify errors requiring correction. This survey of 445 patients in the United Kingdom found that the majority of patients are willing and able to identify and respond to errors in their electronic health records, but information-related and systems-related barriers (e.g., limited understanding of medical terminology, poor information display) disproportionately impact patients with lower digital health literacy or language barriers.

Work engagement may be a beneficial counterpart to burnout among health care workers. This cross-sectional study explored the association between work engagement scores with self-reported concerns about having made medical errors among medical assistants in Germany.

Accreditation programs such as The Joint Commission are intended to improve patient safety and quality. Investigators evaluated the evidence base for 20 actionable standards issued by The Joint Commission. Standards were classified by the extent to which they were supported by evidence, evidence quality ratings, and the strength of the recommendation.

… concerns is an important component of safety culture. This cross-sectional study explored speaking up behaviors and … silent about patient safety concerns in rehabilitation: a cross-sectional survey to assess staff experiences and …

… before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: A comparative cross-sectional study. Intensive Crit Care Nurs. 2022:103276. …

… system. … Shiner B, Gottlieb DJ, Levis M, et al. National cross-sectional cohort study of the relationship between …

Patients receiving home care services are vulnerable to medication errors. Based on survey feedback from 485 home care nurses in Germany, this study found that regular medication training and use of quality assurance principles (i.e., double checking) can decrease the incidence of medication errors in home care settings.

Nurses play a critical role in reducing preventable harm among inpatients. This cross-sectional survey of nurses working in general medicine wards identified both enabling factors (behavioral regulation, perceived capabilities, and environmental context/resources) and barriers (intentions, perceived consequences, optimism, and professional role) to implementing comprehensive harm prevention programs for older adult inpatients.

Older adults living in nursing homes are at increased risk of polypharmacy and its associated adverse outcomes, such as drug-drug interactions. The medication records of 222 older adult residents of one Spanish nursing home were screened for potential drug-drug adverse events. Nearly all included residents were taking at least one potentially inappropriate medication, and drug-drug interactions were common.

… behaviors. … Hasselblad M, Morrison J, Kleinpell R, et al. Promoting patient and nurse safety: testing a … system: results of the DEMEANOR pragmatic, cluster, cross-over trial. BMJ Open Qual. 2022;11(1). …

… literacy or disadvantaged socioeconomic position in a cross-sectional US population-based survey. BMJ Qual Saf. …

… problems in ambulatory care? Results of a retrospective cross-sectional telephone survey. BMJ Open. …

Alert fatigue is a known contributor to medical error. In this cross-sectional study, researchers found that custom alerts were responsible for the majority of alert burden at six pediatric health systems. This study also compared the use of different alert burden metrics to benchmark burden across and within institutions.

… to an objective safety and quality knowledge test: a cross-sectional study. BMJ Open. 2021;11(9):e040779. …

… on patient safety culture in long-term and acute care? A cross-sectional study. Leadersh Health Serv (Bradf Engl). …