More Hospitals Move to Confront Medical Errors Head On
Tradeoffs
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Improving hospital systems through transparency and accountability
The hospital took accountability for mistakes and focused on fixing the systems behind the errors, emphasizing that poor communication and processes, rather than bad doctors and nurses, were often the source of the problem. By encouraging staff and parents to report errors, the hospital was able to address systemic issues, leading to a different level of transparency and improvement in safety. An example of this improvement was seen in a doctor who, under the new transparency program, handled a medication mistake by immediately informing the patient's family and leading to a revamp of the medication order process. This program has become a blueprint for communication and resolution programs in health policy.
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