Call Me Bob:: A Safety Culture Initiative to Improve Interprofessional Teamwork

Abstract

Patient safety is the highest goal in any health care environment. However, individual practitioner efforts are not enough; high-functioning, collaborative teams are required to achieve desired results. Traditional physician culture has emphasized physician authority and individual responsibility, leading to power gradients and often disrupting effective communication. To address this, an initiative to help remove communication barriers and promote all team members' comfort with proactively speaking up about concerns was created in a major Midwest regional children's hospital. This process is now part of the organization's working culture and has the potential to enhance communication, collaboration, and safety in other health care organizations.