The culture of patient safety

Abstract

Abstract: Safety culture refers to the way patient safety is thought about and implemented within an organization and the structures and processes in place to support this. It reflects the way people think and behave. Measuring safety culture or climate is important because the culture of an organization and the attitudes of teams have been found to influence patient safety outcomes, and these measures can be used to monitor change over time. Safety culture measurement tools that are easily repeatable over time and adaptable to different contexts may be the most practical ones to adopt. Organizations with a positive safety culture have a communication system based on mutual trust, shared perceptions of the importance of safety, confidence in the effectiveness of preventive measures, and support for the workforce.