Improving Patient Safety through High Reliability Organizations

Authors

Jared Padgett, Pepperdine University School of LawFollow
Kenneth Gossett, Walden UniversityFollow
Roger Mayer, SUNY College at Old WestburyFollow
Wen-Wen Chien, SUNY College at Old WestburyFollow
Freda Turner, Walden UniversityFollow

Abstract

Preventable medical errors result in the loss of 200,000 lives per year with associated financial and operational burdens on organizations and society. Widespread preventable patient harm occurs despite increases in healthcare regulations. High reliability organization theory contributes to improved safety and may potentially reverse this trend. This single case study explored the introduction of a safety culture and subsequent improvements in patient safety in a reliability-seeking organization. Fourteen participants from a subacute nursing facility were selected using purposeful sampling criterion. Data were collected through participant interviews, document reviews, and group observation. Five themes emerged from an analysis of collected data including process standardization, checks and redundancy, authority migration, communication, and teamwork. The themes uncovered the need for extensive education and training, communication, and teamwork to improve patient safety. The results of the study may be useful to improve safety and enhance leadership to promote a culture of safe patient care.

Keywords

High Reliability Organizations, Patient Safety, Subacute Nursing Facility, Case Study

Author Bio(s)

Jared D. Padgett, DBA is the Associate Director of Communications at Pepperdine University School of Law, a Research Fellow at the Center for Healthcare Research, and an Associate Faculty member at the University of Phoenix School of Business. Correspondence regarding this article can be addressed directly to: jaredpadgett@email.phoenix.edu.

Kenneth Gossett, PhD is a contributing faculty member at Walden University. Correspondence regarding this article can also be addressed directly to: kenneth.gossett@waldenu.edu.

Roger Mayer, DBA is an assistant professor at SUNY College at Old Westbury. Correspondence regarding this article can also be addressed directly to: mayer@oldwestbury.edu.

Wen-Wen Chien, DBA is an assistant professor at SUNY College at Old Westbury. Correspondence regarding this article can also be addressed directly to: chienw@oldwestbury.edu.

Freda Turner, PhD serves as the Dean of School of Management, and Program Director of Doctor of Business Administration at Walden University. Correspondence regarding this article can also be addressed directly to: freda.turner@waldenu.edu.

Publication Date

2-5-2017

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2017.2547

Recommended APA Citation

Padgett, J., Gossett, K., Mayer, R., Chien, W., & Turner, F. (2017). Improving Patient Safety through High Reliability Organizations. The Qualitative Report, 22(2), 410-425. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2017.2547