As more patients are gaining access to their electronic health records, including clinician notes, the language clinicians use can shape how patients feel about their health and healthcare provider. This commentary describes how some words and phrases routinely used in provider notes, such as “deny” or “non-compliant”, may inadvertently build distrust with the patient. The authors recommend medical students and providers reconsider their language to establish more trusting relationships with their patients.

Organizational factors can contribute to the occurrence of patient safety events and how health systems respond to such events. This webinar highlighted lessons learned in the aftermath of a fatal medication error, and strategies to improve patient safety at the organizational level through system design and accountability.

Bias in any form degrades the safety and effectiveness of communication and care. This report summarizes data documenting the impact of racial and ethnic discrimination on older adult patients. It provides recommendations that include increasing content in medical school curriculum to raise awareness of biased medical care and tailoring communication needs to ethnic communities as steps toward reducing discrimination.

Patient violence toward health care workers is a common, yet underreported, influence on care safety. This commentary summarizes policies in place to address patient violence and highlights Joint Commission standards developed to reduce the potential for violence in care environments. Improved reporting, organizational engagement, and safety culture development are among the strategies recommended.

Clinician burnout is a pervasive problem and can threaten patient safety. This special issue explores burnout among nurses and its impact across healthcare systems, approaches to recognizing burnout, and strategies for managing and reducing burnout at individual and organizational levels.

Resident autonomy is an essential component to medical training, but it is not without patient safety risks. This news article highlights situations where resident autonomy should be disclosed to patients (such as instances of overlapping surgeries) and the value of transparency about the role of surgical team members.

The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) highlights the negative impacts the recent criminal conviction of a nurse could have for patient safety, including fear of reporting errors and clinicians leaving the profession.