Safety coaches in radiology: decreasing human error and minimizing patient harm.
Successful programs to improve patient safety require a component aimed at improving safety culture and environment, resulting in a reduced number of human errors that could lead to patient harm. Safety coaching provides peer accountability. It involves observing for safety behaviors and use of error prevention techniques and provides immediate feedback. For more than a decade, behavior-based safety coaching has been a successful strategy for reducing error within the context of occupational safety in industry. We describe the use of safety coaches in radiology. Safety coaches are an important component of our comprehensive patient safety program.
Dickerson
Julie M
JM
Department of Radiology, MLC 5031, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229-3039, USA.
Koch
Bernadette L
BL
Adams
Janet M
JM
Goodfriend
Martha A
MA
Donnelly
Lane F
LF
D003142:Communication; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training; D007857:Leadership; D015279:Organizational Culture; D010379:Peer Group; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D011872:Radiology Department, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017751:Safety Management / Q000379:methods*