Medical errors are still severe public health problems that threaten patient safety. The issue of medical errors is one of the most important in medical law, and the number of medical errors is not decreasing but increasing. Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) focuses on people’s activities, analyzes their causes, and applies an evidence-based intervention strategy. The relevance of using OBM to improve the healthcare system lies in a practical approach to solving the most critical component of every imperfect healthcare system – behavior (Kelley & Gravina, 2018). Behavior, first of all, depends on the method it occurs; however, it can also be considered the cause of many medical errors, and specific changes in behavior can prevent these medical error.
A medical error can be interpreted as any action or omission that harms the patient. At the same time, it is possible to refer to a medical error as any action in providing medical care that can potentially cause harm. The latter definition, focused on prevention, best corresponds to the application of OBM and determines its relevance (Kelley & Gravina, 2018). OBM includes feedback that is used in many situations to influence behavior change. This approach successfully increases behavior safety and reduces risky behavior in various non-medical conditions.
Turning unforeseen medical circumstances into a form of organizing relationships with established rules is the long-term goal of OBM. Thus, intervention methods become part of the organization’s daily practice and make medical personnel ready for unforeseen external and internal circumstances. An essential role of OBM in reducing the number of medical errors is that it can increase and maintain the desired behavior. However, it is necessary to identify behaviors that should be avoided and those that need to be reinforced (Kelley & Gravina, 2018). To understand and eliminate medical errors, a healthcare culture is essential, the basis of which is trust, the desire for success, and positive changes in behavior. Practical and results-oriented OBM technology allows the development of this type of culture in the context of continuous learning and beneficial behavior change.
Reference
Kelley III, D. P., & Gravina, N. (2018). A paradigm shift in healthcare: An open door for organizational behavior management.Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 38(1), 73-89. Web.