Whistleblowing over patient safety and care quality: a review of the literature.

Blenkinsopp J, Snowden N, Mannion R, Powell M, Davies H, Millar R, McHale J. Whistleblowing over patient safety and care quality: a review of the literature. Journal of health organization and management. Sept, 2019;33(6):737-756.

Staff willingness to report threats to patient safety is critical to preventing errors and improving safety and is an indicator of an organization’s safety culture. The authors discuss studies exploring what factors influence whistleblowing, organizational responses, and implications for practice or policy. The authors concluded that the existing literature focuses on the decision to speak up. There is limited evidence discussing organizational responses or systems-level changes, yet these actions influence whether the patient safety threats are addressed and if future events will be reported.

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