In the perioperative setting, “Culture of Safety” describes a fully empowered and smoothly functioning team committed to the best possible outcomes for the patient and for the team members themselves. While hard to put into discrete language, an O.R. with a positive safety culture is the one in which we all want to work and certainly the one expected by our patients. The ASA Guide to Anesthesia Department Administration (GADA), published in late 2018 and available at www.asahq.org/quality-and-practice-management/quality-improvement/qmda-regulatory-toolkit/guide-to-anesthesia-department-administration, includes a series of items created to help anesthesia groups understand and improve the culture of safety in their departments and institutions.
The first article in the series, “Defining a Culture of Safety,” provides a deeper definition of the term, reminding us that culture applies to any environment where anesthesia services are provided. One interesting aspect of the definition is the need for metacognition on the part of all providers –...
