Episode 41: Patient Safety Culture and Climate

In this episode Dr. Liane Ginsburg updates our thinking about patient safety culture and patient safety climate.  It is critical to understand what patient safety is, the assessment of safety climate, and how we can strengthen and improve patient safety culture and climate in practice settings and health professional educational settings.

Liane outlines three important aspects related to patient safety. Firstly, she describes the difference between patient safety culture and patient safety climate and the importance of these different but related concepts. Secondly, she talks about the current status of a strong and positive patient safety culture and climate across health care. Finally, she explains the benefits for patient safety research and practice of looking at safety climate strength in addition to climate level.

After listening to this podcast listeners will be able to:
Differentiate between patient safety culture and patient safety climate
Understand the barriers to strong and positive patient safety culture and climate
Consider patient safety climate strength in addition to climate level

Dr. Liane Ginsburg, PhD
Liane Ginsburg is an Associate Professor in the School of Health Policy and Management at York University where she teaches Applied Research Methods in Health to 4th year undergraduate students in the Honors Bachelor of Health Studies Program.  Liane trained in healthcare organization and management at the University of Toronto.  Her research interests focus on learning from patient safety failures and patient safety culture/ climate in practice settings and in HP educational settings.

References: 
The Report of the Manitoba Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Inquest.
Ginsburg LR,Tregunno D, Norton PG (2013). Self-reported patient safety  competence among new graduates in medicine, nursing and pharmacy. BMJ Qual Saf ;22:147–154. 
Ginsburg LR, et al.( 2014). Developing and testing of an Objective Structure Clinical Exam (OCSE) to assess social-cultural dimensions of patient safety competency. BMJ Qual Saf, 2014;0:1–7. 
Fleming , M., Wentzell (2008). Patient Safety Culture Improvement Tool: Development and Guidlines for Use. Healthcare Quartely Vol. 11.