Governance standards: A roadmap for increasing safety at care transitions

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Patient Safety
• Organizational Governance

Background:

• Adverse events and preventable harm in healthcare are international policy priorities.
• Care transitions (patient handovers) are high-risk periods for adverse events.
• Organizational governance impacts healthcare quality and safety.

Approach:

• Developed a predictive model linking governance and safety at care transitions.
• Analyzed data from 490 Canadian healthcare organizations across six sectors.
• Assessed organizational compliance with Accreditation Canada Governance Standards.

Key Points:

• Organizational compliance with governance standards predicts performance in medication reconciliation.
• Eleven specific governance elements were identified as key predictors.
• Effective governance involves prioritizing goals, monitoring performance, and stakeholder communication.

Conclusions:

• Healthcare governance is a critical factor in ensuring patient safety during care transitions.
• Leadership must prioritize and monitor medication reconciliation practices.
• A robust governance cycle is essential for continuous quality improvement in healthcare.