While there is robust literature on the impact of racism on health outcomes, the intersection of systemic racism and patient safety events is relatively understudied. MedStar Health partnered with RAND Corporation to identify and understand ways to address the impact of racism on patient safety in healthcare settings. Learn how MedStar Health is addressing institutional, interpersonal, and internalized racism in patient safety improvement efforts and how this advances their organization's strategy to becoming a High Reliability Organization (HRO).
Lessons Learned
• Implement an equitable approach to patient safety data collection. Health systems should populate reporting systems with demographic data and, over time, implement ongoing surveillance processes to identify disparities in patient safety events.
• Revise outdated medical education. Educating providers that race is a social construct can foster an environment for identifying how internal biases can contribute to unintentional errors.
• Create a culture of speaking up. To reduce harm, health systems can foster an environment where all voices are respected, and the workforce is empowered to report unsafe conditions.