Quality for the Rest of Us

How does the administrative wing respond to scrutiny? We are wired to have a fight or flight response, but surely there is a better way for managers to handle pressure? Today's podcast looks at examples of great managers who kept a pulse on the frontline and gained credibility in the boardroom for the knowledge they gained.

Key Points:

-frontline expectations

-responding to scrutiny

-building credibility

Support the show

For more in...

How does your organization celebrate retirement? It's not a typical interview question, but perhaps it should be: How we treat the people who have given years of their lives to the organization speaks volumes about how we value everyone else. 

Today's episode is half-podcast, half-tribute to Sostenes the lab director -- because listening to people speak about his life at retirement made me want to live mine better.

Key Poin...

How much do you trust your coworkers to watch your patients during lunch?

This question is an often overlooked key indicator of safety culture. Nurses are possessive of "their" patients and this episode explores reasons and symptoms of lunch breaks that are not covered.

Key Points:

-Critical debriefing

-Trusting your team

-What makes a "good" team?

Support the show

For more information, visit PorterQI.com, or email Q4U...

Do you ever hear coworkers say, "Someone should fix that"? Have you ever wished Marie Kondo would come to your healthcare facility and tidy up? This episode looks at the physical environment as a sign of safety culture.

Key Points:

-The Van Halen Effect

-The Psychology of your workspace

-Someone should fix that

References:

-Ozden, E. (Sept. 28, 2021). The Reason Behind David Lee Roth’s Brown M&Ms Request for Live Shows...

What is the intersection between safety and security? This episode shares some of my adventures at the bedside and explores opportunities to strengthen safety culture with best practices in security.

Key Points:

-Violence is prevalent

-TJC on violence in healthcare

-Safety and Security

References:

-The Joint Commission (May 15, 2024). 2023 Sentinel Event Data Annual Report. https://www.jointcommission.org/resources/news-and-multimed...

Everyone wants to believe that we treat our patients like family. But is it possible to prove it? Today's episode provides a quick auditing method to identify whether you have a family-friendly organization.

Key Points:

-Family Support Systems

-Humanizing Healthcare

-Family Furnishings

References:

-Goldfarb, MJ; Bibas, L; Bartlett, V; Jones, H; Khan, N (Oct. 2017). Outcomes of Patient- and Family-Centered Care Interventions in ...

Efficient throughput and end of life care work at opposite ends of the spectrum. How does your end of life care reflect your safety culture? Today's episode explores ways to track the quality of end of life care and assess your facility's safety culture in the process.

Key Points:

-End of life care and the culture of safety

-When it takes too long to die

-Assessing quality and procedures

Support the show

For more information, v...

How should we respond to voluntary reporting? What can we do when our scientific approach to the study of errors becomes as dehumanizing as the culture that caused the error? This episode discusses non-mandatory reporting by turning the lens of safety culture onto the safety department itself.

Key Points:

-Why reporting happens

-Troublemakers and safety culture

-The best weapon against never-events

Support the show

For more information, ...

Have you ever questioned the credibility of your safety culture survey? So many safety culture assessments describe vague things to avoid, but how can you tell if you have it? This season, we're sharing the Top 10 Signs that your healthcare organization has a solid safety culture.

Key Points:

-What is "good" healthcare?

-Virtue and ethics in safety culture

-Introducing the Top 10 Signs

References:

Norwood, Arlisha (20...

Did you hear about the redesign of the nurse manager role at Advocate Health? This episode discusses the six insights gleaned from three simple questions that just might save the nurse manager role.
Key Points:
-Ask the frontline
-Mutual goals
-Critical mentorship

References:
-Twenter, P (Oct. 21, 2024). Advocate redesigns the nurse manager role. Becker’s Clinical Leadership. https://www.beckerhospitalr...

Important notices are common in healthcare, but opportunities for feedback can be hard to find. Yet, communication about problems is essential to a robust patient safety program. This episode looks at changes in technology that could improve safety communication across the healthcare industry.
Key Points:
-Safety communication in space
-Healthcare feedback loops
-Overwhelming public comment

References:
...

Big Pharma spends billions of dollars on advertising that teaches the public how to say the names of their products. While millions of people live with hypertension, many of them cannot remember the name of their diagnosis or what it means. This episode discusses healthcare communication and shares helpful models for improvement.
Key Points:
-Big Pharma ads get it right
-Idiopathic Explanations
-Louis Braille and me...

Have you ever noticed how admission orders can be corrected, but a faulty discharge is nearly impossible to correct? Today's episode explores fake deaths, inaccurate discharges, and how to begin solving for resurrection errors in healthcare.
Key Points:
-Fake deaths are common
-Computers do not believe in resurrection
-Discharges are surprisingly inflexible

References:
-Wikipedia (2024). “Safety Co...

What can a con-man teach us about patient safety? Sometimes normal human reactions are just what is needed to breach protocol and result in harm. Today's episode explores the relationship between the perfect heist and safety culture.
Key Points:
-Reaction Videos
-Dual Auditing
-Decoys and False Alarms

References:
Diaz, Naomi (Nov. 17th, 2022). Why healthcare mergers and acquisitions are a cybersecu...

Infectious disease fascinates me. When the State of Texas offers a free certification program in pandemic preparedness, including courses in epidemiology and infectious disease, I'm eager to sign up. Tune in to hear some of what I loved, what I didn't love, and why access to this type of knowledge is a great opportunity overall.

Key Points:
-Public Health History in Texas
-Research Hesitancy
-Neglecte...

Have you noticed how busy the clinic waiting rooms are becoming? As the largest living generation retires from providing care and seeks to receive it, our primary care models are experiencing new challenges. This episode seeks to focus our efforts on an improvement mindset as we manage the surge of patients.
Key Points:
-Blocking the Door
-Black Friday in Healthcare
-Primary Care Triage

References:
-She...

Have you ever been asked to sign that you'll pay whatever is "leftover" from your bill -- without knowing the total? This episode uses a risk approach to discuss the expectation that patients must promise to pay to an infinite and undefinable cost, and shares solutions that fit a patient safety model using clear communication and patient-empowered decision-making.
Key Points:
-The Blank Check
-Transparenc...