High Reliability

In September 2024, the Patient Safety Network (PSNet) produced this piece on the characteristics of high reliability organizations (HRO) – those which operate in complex, high-hazard domains for extended periods without serious accidents or catastrophic failures. The concept of high reliability is attractive for health care, due to the complexity of operations and the risk of significant and even potentially catastrophic consequences when failures occur. Sometimes people interpret high reliability as meaning effective standardization of health care processes; however, the principles of high reliability go beyond standardization. High reliability is better described as a condition of persistent mindfulness within an . . .