From HRO to HRE: Human-Centered Resilience Engineering as an Evolving Framework for Patient Safety Management

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Patient Safety Research
• Systems Engineering

Background:

• Patient safety progress has stagnated, despite increased calls for innovative approaches.
• Current quality measures show limited improvement, highlighting a need for advanced strategies.
• Healthcare organizations are increasingly open to new safety paradigms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To discuss the complexity of healthcare and the need for a transformed approach to patient safety.
• To describe the implementation of a human-centered resilience engineering approach in two health systems.
• To advocate for a collaborative and courageous advancement of patient safety practices.

Main Methods:

• Literature review on patient safety and healthcare complexity.
• Case study analysis of two health systems implementing resilience engineering.
• Qualitative assessment of organizational approaches to safety.

Main Results:

• Healthcare complexity necessitates a move beyond traditional safety measures.
• A human-centered resilience engineering approach can drive performance in complex healthcare systems.
• Successful implementation requires organizational openness and adaptation.

Conclusions:

• A transformed, human-centered resilience engineering approach is crucial for advancing patient safety.
• Collaboration, curiosity, and courage are essential for the healthcare safety community.
• Sharing knowledge and experiences will accelerate progress toward improved patient safety.