MEDICINE AND SOCIETY How High Reliability Can Facilitate Clinical, Organizational, and Public Health Responses to Global Ecological Health Risks

Abstract

High reliability organizations operate in complex, high-hazard domains for extended periods without serious accidents or catastrophic failures. High reliability can be described as a condition of persistent mindfulness within an organization, coupled with a relentless, assiduous prioritization of adverse event prevention. This article describes ethically and clinically relevant features of high reliability that health care organizations can draw on to anticipate, identify, and respond to global ecological health threats.