title: Clinical communication and patient safety.
abstract: JCAHO says communication problems were the leading root cause of sentinel events in 2005. The reasons are manifold: a harried environment, a hierarchical staffing system and illegible handwriting, to name a few. This gatefold examines the scope of the problem, including data and risk factors, and offers some strategies for improvement.
authors.affiliation: dscalise@healthforum.com
authors.forename: Dagmara
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Scalise
mesh_terms: D000004:Abbreviations as Topic; D001519:Behavior; D003142:Communication; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007591:Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations; D008297:Male; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010360:Patient Transfer; D010551:Personality; D019555:Physician-Nurse Relations; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D017751:Safety Management / Q000592:standards*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States