Most safety problems have deadly or life altering consequences. That’s especially true in healthcare organizations. Medical errors, quality of care, and infection rates are clear examples.
In a recent study published by the American College of Surgeons, Dr. Martin Makary, professor of surgery and health policy and management at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore reports, “while we have traditionally only studied the incremental patient benefits of different medications and surgical interventions, it turns out that organizational culture has a big impact on patient outcomes.”
The study looked at the impact of organizational culture and teamwork on patient outcomes by studying surgical site infection rates after colon procedures at seven Minnesota hospitals. They found these ten factors influenced infection rates:
- Overall perceptions of patient safety
- Teamwork across units
- Organizational learning
- Feedback and communication about error
- Management support for patient safety
- Teamwork within units
- Communication openness
- Supervisor/manager expectations of actions promoting safety
- Non-punitive response to error
- Frequency of events reported
This study found that “the way we do things around here” was “a compilation of burnout, perceptions of management, the connectedness of care, and staff’s willingness to speak up when they have a concern.” Dr. Makary concluded, “Variation in organizational culture may be an important factor in understanding the broader endemic issue of variation in medical quality.”
If your organization is concerned about safety how does your culture measure up against these 10 factors? How do you know — where’s your data?
Team building and organizational culture is the major determinant of health and safety. It’s also a key factor in profitability, productivity, customer service, quality, innovation, and other critical performance outcomes. View my 60 minute webinar on proven frameworks and best practices that empower executive teams — and their organizations — to develop a peak performance culture.
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