Knowledge of Quality and Patient Safety

Baker, G. R. (2012). The challenges of making care safer: leadership and system transformation. Healthc Q, 15 Spec No, 8-11.

Baker, G. R., & MacIntosh-Murray, A. (2012). Governance for quality and patient safety: the impact of the Ontario Excellent Care for All Act, 2010. Healthc Q, 15 Spec No, 44-50. 
We report on interviews with five Ontario healthcare organizations identified by experts as having high-performing boards. Our question was, how has the ECFA Act influenced Ontario healthcare organizations' governance practices relating to quality and safety?

Baker, R. G. (2014). Governance, policy and system-level efforts to support safer healthcare. Healthc Q, 17 Spec No, 21-26.
Over the past 10 years there have been concerted efforts across Canada to create safer healthcare systems both by improving practices at the frontline and by creating an environment that encourages the development of effective safety practices and a safety culture.

Bismark, M. M., Walter, S. J., & Studdert, D. M. (2013). The role of boards in clinical governance: activities and attitudes among members of public health service boards in Victoria. Aust Health Rev, 37(5), 682-687. doi:10.1071/ah13125
OBJECTIVES: To determine the nature and extent of governance activities by health service boards in relation to quality and safety of care and to gauge the expertise and perspectives of board members in this area.

Botje, D., Klazinga, N. S., Sunol, R., Groene, O., Pfaff, H., Mannion, R., . . . Wagner, C. (2014). Is having quality as an item on the executive board agenda associated with the implementation of quality management systems in European hospitals: a quantitative analysis. Int J Qual Health Care, 26 Suppl 1, 92-99. doi:10.1093/intqhc/mzu017
OBJECTIVE: To assess whether there is a relationship between having quality as an item on the board's agenda, perceived external pressure (PEP) and the implementation of quality management in European hospitals.

Combes, J. R., & White, S. V. (2014). Interview with a quality leader: Dr. John Combes on boards and governance. J Healthc Qual, 36(6), 41-46. doi:10.1111/jhq.12032
Dr. Combes is senior vice president at the American Hospital Association (AHA) and president and COO of the Center for Healthcare Governance. The Interview with Dr. John Combes on Boards and Governance provides a perspective on key changes, issues, competencies, and metrics that hospital boards must address. The role of quality professionals to be effective with boards is also described.

Mitchell, J. I., Izad Shenas, S. A., & Kuziemsky, C. (2015). Governance standards: A roadmap for increasing safety at care transitions. Healthc Manage Forum, 28(1), 28-33. doi:10.1177/0840470414551894
Reducing the rate of adverse events and preventable harm associated with healthcare delivery is a policy priority across healthcare systems internationally. Care transitions or handovers in clinical care introduce risk to patients that can lead to adverse events. Building on the literature showing the impact of governing boards on the quality and safety of healthcare services, this study builds a predictive model between governance and safety at care transitions.