An analysis of organisational culture and its application to planned change, patient safety and medical error reduction

Abstract

This narrative review provides an in-depth analysis of the construct and dimensions of organisational culture in the specific context of healthcare settings. It explores popular frameworks that can be used to identify and facilitate change in organisational culture. Acknowledging the crucial impact of organisational culture on patient safety, this article demonstrates the cultural underpinnings of medical error reduction. The author emphasises the importance of culturally-sensitive implementation of change interventions and advocates for patient safety approaches occurring at systemic and organisational levels, thereby promoting and enriching the development of an organisation's safety culture.