Feasibility and added value of Executive WalkRounds in long term care organizations in the Netherlands.

van Dusseldorp L, Huisman de Waal G, Hamers H, Westert G, Schoonhoven L. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf. 2016;42:545-557.

In health care, executive walk rounds are used to help senior leadership engage in discussions about safety issues with frontline staff. Although prior research has demonstrated a positive impact of walk rounds on safety culture in the hospital setting, less is known about their value in other types of care settings. In this mixed methods analysis, executive walk rounds were implemented across six long-term care institutions. Leaders reported that participating in walk rounds increased their awareness around safety issues and enhanced their engagement with frontline staff. An accompanying editorial discusses the utility of walk rounds in improving the safety culture in nursing homes.

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