The Future of Patient Safety is Bright

A common thought I have been having over the past two days has been, “This stuff is so powerful, but also so simple.” But that has in turn begged the question, “Why aren’t we doing it?” The story of Michael Skolnik brought these same thoughts to my mind. Thorough informed consent conversations and shared decision making are not inherently complicated, and they have the power to literally save the lives of patients. I felt frustrated, even appalled that the medical community was moving so slowly in addressing these problems, even when simple and proven solutions exist. The common response is that the culture in medicine just runs too deep and that doctors are resistant to changes in behavior. This answer didn’t satisfy me though. How can a group of people so committed to helping patients and to a life of learning be so ineffective at adopting life saving interventions? It… Continue reading →