Reference no: EM133706905

Assignment:

1. What are the current patient safety characteristics of your organizational culture? Identify an aspect of your culture that needs to be changed with regard to patient safety and suggest strategies for change. An aspect of organizational culture that may need to be changed with regard to patient safety is the dynamics within healthcare teams and leadership. In many healthcare settings, there can be a hierarchical structure where newer staff may feel hesitant to speak up in regard to any safety concerns. This can hinder effective communication and lead to overlooked safety issues such as medical errors.

Some strategies for changing this aspect of organizational culture include providing training to all staff members on the importance of effective communication and teamwork in patient safety. Team-building activities to encourage collaboration and communication among healthcare teams. Leaders should lead by example by actively seeking input from all team members, regardless of their position, and demonstrating openness to feedback and suggestions. Implementing anonymous reporting systems for safety concerns, where staff can report issues without fear of being reprimanded. Part of the solution is to maintain a culture that works toward recognizing safety challenges and implementing viable solutions rather than harboring a culture of blame, shame, and punishment (Rodziewicz et al., 2023). By implementing some of these strategies, organizations can work towards creating a culture where all team members feel empowered to speak up about patient safety concerns, ultimately improving overall patient outcomes.

2. Describe a current technology that you use in patient care that would benefit from human factors engineering concepts. What are some ways this technology should be improved? Over the past decade, electronic health records (EHRs) have been widely deployed across the United States to advance health information interoperability and accessibility. In the meantime, much evidence demonstrated their positive impact in quickening diagnosis, reducing medical errors, and supporting better patient outcomes (Zhang et al., 2023). One current technology in patient care that could benefit from human factors engineering concepts is the Electronic Health Record (EHR) system. EHR systems have become integral in healthcare settings for managing patient information, documenting care, and facilitating communication among healthcare providers.

However, they often present usability challenges that can impact efficiency, effectiveness, and patient safety. Here are some ways EHR systems could be improved using human factors engineering concepts: EHR systems should have intuitive and user-friendly interfaces that are easy to navigate, with clear layouts and functionalities. This could include customizable templates, order sets, and user preferences, enabling more efficient documentation and decision-making. Alerts and notifications within EHR systems should be tailored to provide timely and relevant information without overwhelming users with unnecessary alerts. Overall, applying human factors engineering concepts to EHR system design and implementation can lead to significant improvements in usability, efficiency, and patient safety, ultimately enhancing the quality of patient care delivery.