Psychology and Patient Safety 1:

When I boarded my plane to visit DC for the Marseille Conference, I expected to be bombarded with political ideas about healthcare reform. After all, healthcare reform is a heavily politicized topic in the national conversation, and both sides claiming that their political beliefs are best for promoting the health and safety of the general populace. As I reflect back on the past two days, however, I have come to realize that healthcare reform and patient safety do not need to be political discussions; and in fact, should be a bipartisan endeavor that focuses on understanding and implementing changes based on psychology rather than on politics. In my blog posts, I hope to explore a few of the key psychological issues that could have a positive impact on patients.

A large issue facing our healthcare system is that the culture is incredibly hierarchical, and the hierarchy seems to punish challenge.… Continue reading →