PROFESSIONTeaching hospital crafts model safety program"Rapid-cycle feedback" gets the medical staff to buy into safety culture.By Andis Robeznieks, amednews staff. March 22/29, 2004. University of Michigan Health Systems Chief of Clinical Affairs Darrell Campell, MD, believes thinking big leads to positive results. That's why he declared his intention to make the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor the nation's safest hospital. And he wants to spread that culture of safety throughout the UM system. "The concept is safety underlies everything," he said. "Not only is it the right thing to do, there are a number of benefits that spring from it." As a model, Dr. Campbell said he used Alcoa Corp., where, after CEO Paul O'Neill decided it would be the world's safest manufacturer, things like job retention and recruitment improved along with safety. "Ultimately, it'll also save you lots of money," he said. Saving money helps justify such programs with hospital officials, but Dr. Campbell said listening to people's concerns and then acting on them has helped get the staff to buy into the culture. Dr. Campbell said he makes unannounced visits with nursing and pharmacy staff during which they discuss issues with the medical staff. The discussion generally revolves around three questions: What's the last thing that went wrong on your floor? What happened the last time a patient was harmed? What is your worst nightmare? "It's called 'management by walking around,' " he said. Talk is easy, but Connie Standiford, MD, the associate medical director for ambulatory care service, said what has made the program work is a policy of "rapid-cycle feedback." [...]Full text of American Medical News content is available to AMA members and paid subscribers.
Copyright 2004 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
|
The doctors are in the house
The AMA's House of Delegates is holding its Interim Meeting Nov. 7-10 in Houston, addressing issues such as health system reform and physician payment. Meeting coverage - Slideshow Feature articlesHealth reform review The Massachusetts experience Litigation stress Being sued is personal as well as professional Comprehensive coverage
Most-viewed
Nov. 9 issueHouse option for public plan wouldn't limit physician pay to Medicare rates New database for out-of-network pay set to replace disputed Ingenix system Columns and series
From the vault: 5 years agoGenetic testing issues land in primary care practices Nov. 8, 2004 
|
SHARE
