WIHI: Reducing Risks and Defects with Help from the Front Lines

Date: April 23, 2015

Featuring:

• Andrea Kabcenell, RN, MPH, Vice President, Institute for Healthcare Improvement
• Steven J. Spear, PhD, MS, Senior Lecturer, MIT Sloan School of Management; Senior Fellow, IHI
• Alexia Green, PhD, RN, FAAN, Professor and Dean Emerita, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
• Roger Resar, MD, The Mayo Clinic Health System; Senior Fellow, IHI

As health care quality improvement has matured, it’s common to hear the phrase, “Quality is everyone’s responsibility.” But what does that mean more precisely, and how does the concept apply day-to-day? How feasible is it for those on the front lines of delivering care to not just detect defects in systems and processes, but also solve many of them, right then and there? It turns out this is quite doable, especially if frontline staff and providers are empowered to do far more than patch up problems AND if they can count on operational guidance and leadership from others, including middle managers.

The goal is first and foremost to reduce harm to patients and improve safety, but in the process it’s also about raising joy in work and frontline confidence to address problems as they emerge and create replicable solutions as part of daily work. Learn how to "See, Solve, Share, and Lead" on this valuable WIHI episode.