title: [Patient safety can be ensured in clinical microsystems].
abstract: Patients, health-care professionals and the public expect safe health care. The system, however, is not safe and patients are being harmed. Workplace and organizational conditions and human factors contribute to these harms and a system approach is needed to avoid them. In clinical microsystems (CMS), the frontline units of health care, staff and patients can make care safer by learning about their system, its processes, members and purposes. Approaches from patient safety should be integrated in the daily work of every member of the CMS to reduce risk, implement safe practices and learn from errors. We summarize methods for use in CMS and offer ideas for fostering a proactive culture of patient safety.
authors.affiliation: Lunge- og infektionsmedicinsk Afdeling, Hillerød Hospital, Dyrehavevej 29, Hillerød. cple@hih.regionh.dk
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: von Plessen
authors.forename: Boel Andersson
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Gäre
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015279:Organizational Culture; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D010348:Patient Care Team; D061214:Patient Safety; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D017751:Safety Management / Q000379:methods*; D013594:Syringes / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000592:standards; D013597:Systems Analysis; D013598:Systems Theory