by John D. Banja (Author)
Human errors occur all too frequently in medical practice settings. One sobering recent report claimed that medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States. Hoping to reverse this disturbing trend but wondering why it is that things usually go well despite errors, John D. Banja’s Patient Safety Ethics lays out a model that advocates vigilance, mindfulness, compliance, and humility as core ethical principles of patient safety.
Arguing that the safe provision of healthcare is one of the most fundamental moral obligations of clinicians, Banja surveys the research literature on harm-causing medical errors to explore the ethical foundations of patient safety and to reduce the severity and frequency of medical error. Drawing on contemporary scholarship on quality improvement, risk management, and medical decision making, Banja also relies on a novel source of information to illustrate patient safety ethics: medical malpractice suits.
Providing professional perspective with insights from prominent patient safety experts, Patient Safety Ethics identifies hazard pitfalls and suggests concrete ways for clinicians and regulators to improve patient safety through an ethically cultivated program of “hazard awareness.”
Review
“In this first-ever consideration of what makes patient safety unique, John Banja sets out a new framework for our consideration, enriched by considering medical malpractice cases. This is welcome food for thought, and interviews with thought-leaders in the patient safety domain are the icing on the cake.”
(Mark L. Graber, MD, Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine)
“This is a wise and original volume that will inspire practitioners and institutions to embrace their professionalism and resist countervailing forces that can degrade care. A must-read for twenty-first-century medicine.”
(Joseph J. Fins, MD, Weill Cornell Medical College and Yale Law School)
“Once again John Banja forces us to look at the role and responsibilities of caregivers to reassess their engagement in ensuring a culture of safety for patients. A thoughtful and important read to further elevate discussions about safety and accountability in healthcare.”
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