Improving Safety Through Partnering With Patients: Preoccupation With Failure (29 September 2021)

Summary

This article published in Patient Safety discusses the role of patients and families in supporting a culture of safety. It looks at the concept of 'preoccupation with failure', a feature of high reliability organisations (HROs) and examines how patients can contribute to safety by being engaged in this process. The authors discuss a case study in which a patient contributes to safety improvements by sharing specific concerns. They draw out the importance of encouraging and empowering patients and their families to raise issues.