Abstract
Avoiding iatrogenic adverse outcomes and providing safe care to patients is a priority in modern healthcare systems.
Because anaesthetic practice is inherently risky, the specialty
has developed a broad range of strategies to minimise
human error and risk for patients. These are part of a hierarchical
model developed by industrial safety experts to
minimise risk. It is known as the safety hierarchy model.
This review will describe the use of this model in anaesthesia
and show why the specialty is often cited as a role
model for patient safety improvement. It will also explore
the extension of the model to other specialties and analyse
its intrinsic limitations due to new challenges to patient
safety: teamwork and communication issues. These
will conclude the review.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1 - 8 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Swiss Medical Weekly |
Volume | 143 |
Issue number | W13770 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2013 |