Every two years, we choose major initiatives to focus our activities around that represent significant areas for growth in the patient safety and quality space. From there, we organize Action Planning Workgroups who meet monthly to explore these topics and plan activities around them.
The following three initiatives are for 2022. You do not have to be a member to participate in an initiative. If you are interested in making healthcare safer in Washington please write WPSC@qualityhealth.org and put “I’d like to help” in the subject line.
1) Improving the Diagnostic Process
This workgroup will develop a toolkit of tools and resources around best practices. Promote collaborative diagnosis (including patient/family).Work to promote collaborative diagnosis and beyond that, help patients understand how best to prepare for visits and collaborate and engage with their providers.
2) Addressing Stigma & Bias
Mission
To build recognition of issues within the healthcare system that contribute to stigma and bias faced by certain segments of the population in Washington state.
Partnering with our sister program, the BREE Collaborative, the Addressing Stigma and Bias (ASB) Workgroup will identify and address barriers to meaningful access to quality care, with a view to initiating a culture shift – at the system level – centered on reducing health disparities, ultimately improving patient safety as well as health outcomes.
Focus Areas
1. Mental Health
2. Racism
3. Substance Use Disorder
Goals
1. To build recognition of the problem of stigma and bias and raise awareness of how they impact healthcare.
2. To identify BREE Collaborative & other tools that can be implemented in health systems and facilitate sharing of these resources.
3. To promote training for providers that address stigma and provider bias, particularly towards people within target communities.
Meeting dates
Every month on the Fourth Thursday from 4-5 p.m. PT
Members
LuAnn Chen
Anita Sulaiman
Jessica Martinson
Nick Locke
3) Psychological Safety in the Workplace
The workgroup will develop tactics and tools to promote and encourage a culture where employees are willing to speak up and report safety issues without fear of retaliation
Communication & Resolution
We also have an ongoing initiative in support of the UW’S Collaborative for Accountability and Improvement in support of the Communication and Resolution Program (CRP) and CRP Certification to reshape responses to patient harm. Learn more about our CRP work.