International Journal of Health Policy and Management

International Journal of Health Policy and Management

Safety I to Safety II: A Paradigm Shift or More Work as Imagined?; Comment on “False Dawns and New Horizons in Patient Safety Research and Practice”

Document Type : Commentary

Authors
Kelly M. Smith 1
Annette L. Valenta 2
1 MedStar Institute for Quality and Safety, MedStar Health, Columbia, MD, USA
2 Department of Medical Education, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
10.15171/ijhpm.2018.24
Abstract
In their editorial, Mannion and Braithwaite contend that the approach to solving the problem of unsafe care, Safety I, is flawed and requires a shift in thinking to what they are calling Safety II. We have reservations as to whether by itself the shift from Safety I to Safety II is sufficient. Perhaps our failure to improve outcomes in the field of patient safety and quality lies less in our approach – Safety I vs. Safety II – and more in the lack of an agreed upon, commonly understood set of core competencies (knowledge, skills, and attitudes) needed in its workforce. The authors explore in this commentary the need to establish core competencies as part of the pathway to professionalism for the discipline of patient safety and quality.
Keywords
Patient Safety
Quality Improvement
Professionalism
Education
Subjects
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International Journal of Health Policy and Management
Volume 7, Issue 7
2018
Pages 671-673

  • Received Date 30 November 2017
  • Revised Date 25 February 2018
  • Accepted Date 26 February 2018
  • First Published Date 01 July 2018
  • Published Date 01 July 2018