When Speaking Up Isn't Enough

Healthcare clinicians and patients have been advised for years to Speak Up for safety. If something seems amiss, it should be questioned until a satisfying answer is received. However, sometimes a wrong answer is received. As recently pointed out by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), questioners may be convinced of a wrong answer, particularly from a respected practitioner. When the person answering the question responds reasonably, the questioner may not pursue the subject further. ISMP suggests both the person asking the question and the person answering it has a high degree of suspicion that something could be wrong, so the question may not be so easily dismissed. This preoccupation with failure - assuming something could be wrong- is a component of high reliability organizations.

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