Prevention is better than cure: Learning from adverse events in healthcare

Why do things go wrong in healthcare? The purpose of the healthcare system is to improve patient’s conditions but when things go wrong this system that should aid can have devastating effects.

So, how can these events be prevented? In Prevention is Better than Cure: Learning from Adverse Events in Healthcare, Ian Leistikow addresses this critical issue by using real-life examples of serious adverse cases and reflects on the causes to explain how adverse events can occur and gives advice on how these could have been avoided.

The theme that everyday behaviour is the weakest link in patient safety is explored and the reader is guided in how to identify unsafe behaviours and encouraged to discuss these openly, without resorting to a “blame and shame” culture.

“Unsafe behaviour in healthcare is a problem we are often blind for, and if not, find very difficult to address. How do you tell a doctor that her tone of voice discourages nurses from speaking up about safety concerns? And how do you make sure somebody tells you when you are that doctor?”

Ian Leistikow has 15 years’ practical experience in patient safety and is member of the Strategic Advisory Board of the International Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare. He combines his work as a healthcare inspector with research at the University of Rotterdam.

Offering concrete suggestions on how to avoid adverse events and improve quality, this book is essential reading for anyone working in healthcare.

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