title: Patient safety: cultural changes needed [corrected].
abstract: One essential aspect to improve patient safety and reduce medical errors focuses on the need for healthcare organizations to promote a patient-safety culture, and to banish the blame and shame culture and "conspiracy of silence"--traditional approaches within organizations when reacting to medical errors. Culture change arises when physicians, pharmacists, nurses and other self-regulated professionals are encouraged and expected to report errors without fear of retribution. A culture of patient safety will evolve in healthcare organizations and regulatory agencies only if top leaders demonstrate their commitment to change by making this a personal priority by assimilating new knowledge about medical errors and human behavior. Leaders must also promote strategies to integrate patient safety into every process that supports the system of patient-care delivery.
authors.affiliation: Anacortes, Washington, USA.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Reeder
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002170:Canada; D004991:Ethics, Institutional; D005239:Fear; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006292:Health Priorities; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D007857:Leadership; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000941:ethics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D020380:Needs Assessment; D015279:Organizational Culture; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D017751:Safety Management / Q000941:ethics*