The lurking danger in the “business case” for patient safety (2 December 2019)

Summary

The highly publicised crashes of two Boeing 737 Max aircraft quickly triggered pointed questions about the company’s commitment to safety versus profits. As we near the twentieth anniversary of the landmark Institute of Medicine (IOM) report on medical error, To Err is Human, that same level of scrutiny should apply to hospitals. 

Cost-benefit analysis is both a legitimate and crucial management function. But the criteria used in those calculations can range from appropriate to appalling. It’s long past time to examine how the “business case for safety” can sometimes represent a serious threat to patients’ lives.

Michael L. Millenson discusses the dangers in the "business case" for patient safety in his blog in Health Affairs.