Safety coaches in radiology: decreasing human error and minimizing patient harm

Abstract

Successful programs to improve patient safety require a component aimed at improving safety culture and environment, resulting in a reduced number of human errors that could lead to patient harm. Safety coaching provides peer accountability. It involves observing for safety behaviors and use of error prevention techniques and provides immediate feedback. For more than a decade, behavior-based safety coaching has been a successful strategy for reducing error within the context of occupational safety in industry. We describe the use of safety coaches in radiology. Safety coaches are an important component of our comprehensive patient safety program.

Modeling the predictors of safety behavior in construction workers

“…Behavior-based safety (BBS) that has been the research focus for many employment industries [9,10] is accepted A c c e p t e d M a n u s c r i p t 3 as an important issue to enhance construction safety management [11,12]. However, very few attempts have been made to determine the causal relations between multiple latent variables (i.e., organizational commitment, stress response, safety motivation, safety knowledge, and safety climate) and to quantify their degrees of effect on the indicator, construction workers' safety behavior.…”

Safety coaching: a literature review of coaching in high hazard industries

“…This may be one area where safety coaching can make a contribution. Safety coaching involves the use of observation and feedback and has been shown to reduce error rates in safety critical occupational settings such as a radiology hospital department (Dickerson, Koch, Adams et al 2010). Safety performance and safety culture was assessed before the coaching intervention and two years after.…”

Radiation Dose Management in Pediatric CT

“…They should also verify the indication of the dose indicators (CTDI vol , DLP, and dose efficiency parameters) and check if the standard protocols are compatible with the recommended DRL. They should also promote staff coaching in order to increase awareness levels in terms of the dose problematic [60,61]. Medical physicists should clearly explain the impact of the size of the patient on his/her exposure.…”