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First, Do No Harm: Research From Hogan Assessment Systems Explores How to Improve Patient Safety

TULSA, OK — (Marketwired) — 06/12/13 — According to a study by the Institute of Medicine, due to preventable medical errors, making it the third leading cause of death in the U.S. Although a survey from insurance provider shows that 52 percent of C-suite executives stated that nursing and clinical staff bear the brunt of responsibility for patient safety, the onus of carrying out proper safety procedures falls on every hospital employee.

In its latest research, “First, Do No Harm,” explores the factors impacting patient safety and explains how the health care provider-s people and culture play a vital role in ensuring success. Aside from just organization-wide systems and practices designed to improve patient safety, the research shows how hospitals that consider the personality and behaviors of their staff and candidates can work to build and maintain a culture of safe working practices throughout the organization.

The research outlines three ways health care providers can improve patient safety:

Organizations must ensure their staff members have more than just the proper training and technical skills for their positions; they must also hire individuals with the personality-based competencies that will enable them to perform their job safely.

Health care providers can create a culture more dedicated to patient safety by working with staff to gain their buy-in to new procedures, strengthening communication as patients are transferred between departments and breeding a culture of commitment to patients rather than a culture of compliance.

Since nearly half of every dollar spent on health care costs is related to medical error, improving patient safety will lead to return on investment.

The research also highlights how , the company-s personality assessment solution for improving workplace safety, helps health care providers hire safer workers by providing feedback on existing safety perceptions across the organization, assessing job candidates along six safety-related personality competencies and providing a robust coaching process to teach safe practices. Equipped with this insight, the organization can create a culture of patient safety and improve the quality of care it delivers.

“Most hospital administrators claim that patient safety is their top priority, yet a closer inspection into current practices shows that there is significant room for improvement,” said Ryan Ross, Hogan-s vice president of Global Alliances. “By looking beyond a candidate-s training and technical skills to determine if he or she has the right personality-based competencies, the organization can work to change its culture and deliver a high level of patient care.”

“First, Do No Harm,” is available for download at: .

With more than 30 years of experience, Hogan is the global leader in providing comprehensive, research-based personality assessment and consulting. Grounded in decades of science, Hogan helps businesses dramatically reduce turnover and increase productivity by hiring the right people, developing key talent and evaluating leadership potential.