Overview

How safe are hospitals? Why do some hospitals have higher rates of accident and errors involving patients? How can we accurately measure and assess staff attitudes towards safety? How can hospitals and other healthcare environments improve their safety culture and minimize harm to patients? These and other questions have been the focus of research within the area of Patient Safety Culture (PSC) in the last decade. More and more hospitals and healthcare managers are trying to understand the nature of the culture within their organisations and implement strategies for improving patient safety. The main purpose of this book is to provide researchers, healthcare managers and human factors practitioners with details of the latest developments within the theory and application of PSC within healthcare. It brings together contributions from the most prominent researchers and practitioners in the field of PSC and covers the background to work on safety culture (e.g. measuring safety culture in industries such as aviation and the nuclear industry), the dominant theories and concepts within PSC, examples of PSC tools, methods of assessment and their application, and details of the most prominent challenges for the future in the area. Patient Safety Culture: Theory, Methods and Application is essential reading for all of the professional groups involved in patient safety and healthcare quality improvement, filling an important gap in the current market.

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9781138749726

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Reviews

'A growing interest in safety culture in healthcare makes this book a vital read for health professionals and their managers, policy makers and researchers alike. Written by an international team of experts in the field, this is the first comprehensive exploration of the topic. Safety culture is a concept that is eagerly pursued but poorly understood. With chapters covering the definition, measurement and change of safety culture this original contribution will produce a more enlightened reader.' Rebecca Lawton, University of Leeds, UK and Bradford Royal Infirmary, UK 'Given the impending sense of doom which is hanging over the NHS, this book is essential reading not only for those working in or using the health service but for politicians of all political colours.' RoSPA Occupational Safety and Health Journal, March 2015

Author Information

Dr Patrick Waterson is Reader in Human Factors and Complex Systems in the Design School at Loughborough University. His research involves applying ideas and concepts from systems thinking and the systems approach to healthcare (e.g. methods for assessing patient safety culture, the implementation of health care information technology and the causes of health care-related accidents and error). Patrick has published widely within the area of human factors accident causation and patient safety.

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