Improving the quality of care has been a complex problem in health care for years. Research shows that relational issues, not technical problems, are more often impairing the success of quality improvement initiatives (1). In fact, improvement efforts often overemphasize technical approaches, to the detriment of relational ones, when evidence supports that relational factors are more impactful on interprofessional team-based care. The highest functioning teams focus on and excel at both technical and relational elements (2).

Of relational factors, psychological safety – the shared belief that team members can take interpersonal risks (3) – is increasingly recognized as essential to high-functioning teams and high-quality health care. Now more than ever, creating a psychologically safer healthcare culture is essential, not only for the well-being of frontline providers but also for patients. It requires health professionals to collaborate with others in a manner that honors their humanity and builds upon their strengths. Substantive improvement requires that we integrate more relational techniques to foster a psychologically safer culture.

This session gives attendees practical steps to enhance psychological safety within their teams and communities and move this key concept from a theoretical good to an actionable essential element of clinical operations.

Speakers:
 ◦ Gideon Johnson, Student Action Network Team Lead, Intend Health, Geisinger University
◦ Matthew Lewis, Ph.D. National Trainer, Intend Health

Conference 2023