Becker's Hospital Review

86 CMO / CARE DELIVERY and reduce adverse events? GY: Improved technology is an important piece of the puzzle to improving patient safety. But it won't fix all of the problems by itself. So, we need to continue to work on improving our overall care systems. At the same time, we need to better understand the interface between people and the technology. We could actually create new safety problems if we introduce new tech- nology, but don't spend the time to properly train the individuals who will be using this technology. We also need to focus on more thorough testing of new technol- ogy as it comes through the pipeline. ere are a num- ber of centers focused on studying how people interact with new technology and how this technology can be implemented as intended to achieve the best outcomes. Q: What are you working on right now that excites you? GY: One exciting area we're working in now is using high reliability organizing to create a "chassis" that can be used to improve not only patient safety, but other critical dimensions of performance, including workforce safety, quality and the patient/family expe- rience of care. Historically, many hospitals and health systems have taken a siloed approach to improving performance in these areas. Patients are interested in care that is safe, high quality and patient-centered, so we need to deliver reliably across all three domains to meet our promise to patients and families. We are working to refine a roadmap for hospitals and health systems who are interested in using high reliability or- ganizing to improve all three. n Survey: Healthcare Employees Give Workplaces 'B' Grade for Mental Wellness By Kelly Gooch W hile healthcare employees give their workplaces a better grade than employees in other industries, they still experi- ence stress, with nearly half having taken a mental health day, according to Staples' Annual Workplace Survey. The survey, conducted by KRC Research last August on behalf of Sta- ples, involved 1,004 full-time U.S. and Canadian employees. Twelve percent of those employees work in healthcare, while the rest work in the finance, tech, government and public sector and industrial and manual industries. The survey found healthcare employees gave their workplace a "B" grade compared to the "B-" given by employees in other industries. It also found healthcare employees are more likely than employees in other industries to include "a private place to rest" and "breakroom" on their workplace wishlist. Twenty-six percent of healthcare employees said they would like to have, or have more, private places to rest com- pared to 21 percent of employees in other industries. Nineteen percent of healthcare employees indicated the same for breakrooms compared to 12 percent of employees in other industries. Additionally, the survey found 49 percent of healthcare employees have taken a mental health day. Only two industries ranked above that: gov- ernment and public sector (50 percent) and education (59 percent). n 14% of Physicians Admit Depression Led to Patient Care Errors: 6 Findings By Megan Knowles F ourteen percent of physicians reported their depres- sion caused them to make errors in patient care they would not normally make, and five percent said these errors could harm patients, according to Medscape's first National Report on Physician Burnout and Depression. Medscape asked more than 15,000 physicians across 29 specialties questions about their experiences with burnout and depression, which explored how depression affects physicians' relationships with colleagues and various fac- tors that contribute to burnout. The report notes that some totals do not equal 100 percent due to rounding. Here are six findings from the report. 1. When asked to rate factors that contribute to their de- pression on a scale of one (does not contribute at all) to seven (contributes significantly), both male and female phy- sicians reported their job was the highest contributor (5.6 for each). Finances were the next highest contributor, rank- ing at 3.9 for men and 3.7 for women. 2. Thirty-three percent of depressed physicians said their depression causes them to be more easily exasperated by patients and 32 percent said their depression caused them to feel less engaged with their patients. 3. Forty-two percent of physicians reported exasperation or less engagement with peers and staff as a result of their depression and 37 percent said they express frustration around peers and staff. Only 22 percent said their depres- sion did not affect these relationships. 4. Respondents who reported burnout could choose more than one contributing factor. Over half of respondents — 56 percent — chose an excess of bureaucratic tasks and 39 per- cent chose too many hours at work. 5. Nineteen percent of physicians who reported their de- pression described it as clinical, while a significantly higher percentage — 70 percent — described their depression as colloquial, or "feeling down." 6. When asked what would reduce their burnout, 35 per- cent of physicians said more money would help and 31 per- cent indicated they want a more manageable schedule. n

• Cover