The physician-patient relationship is strengthened when physicians respect the patient’s need for modesty and privacy, when they care enough to educate the patient on the nature of sensitive procedures before performing them, and by using chaperones when conducting intimate physical exams.

In the coming year, the Risk Management and Patient Safety Department will continue mining data from a variety of sources: CAP closed claims, hotline calls, CAPCares calls, and practice survey data. Our goal is to identify trends, vulnerabilities, and emerging concerns or new issues that impact a physician’s practice. This article will provide a brief summary of findings from the 2017 General Surgery – Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy study. 

A “culture of patient safety” is often defined as an organization’s collective commitment to patient safety as the number one priority. Heathcare leaders should consider implementing these six tips to Cultivate a Culture of Safety at their medical facilities.

Dr. Shapiro’s concerns are supported by an abundance of data concerning medication risks. As the mainstay therapy of modern medicine, medication errors represent the most common type of patient safety error: the average hospitalized patient is subject to at least one medication error per day.

It is important to consider implementing a culture of patient safety at your health care organization – whether it is large or small, a hospital, large group practice, or other type medical facility. There’s a lot leaders can do to support and foster this transformation.