Safespace Networks

The experience of reporting healthcare harm can be a scary experience. For patients, this fear is rooted in fear of retribution or disbelief. When a patient recognizes and reports an adverse event or harm, they often grapple with concerns about the quality of their ongoing care. There is a pervasive fear that speaking up might lead to decreased attention or, worse, hostility from the healthcare team responsible for their treatment. Additionally, patients might feel overwhelmed by the complexity of the healthcare system, unsure of whom to approach and how to navigate the process of reporting. The emotional burden of having suffered harm, compounded with the challenge of confronting a system that they rely on for their wellbeing, can make patients hesitant and fearful. This experience is particularly distressing when patients are in a vulnerable state due to illness or dependency on healthcare services, as it requires them to challenge the very individuals and institutions they are dependent upon for care and recovery. For healthcare providers, this fear comes from a different place. Providers often worry about the potential impact on their professional reputation and the possibility of legal repercussions. This anxiety can be exacerbated by the culture of silence within healthcare settings that is frequently less supportive of open discussions about mistakes and more focused on blame and punishment. Providers may also experience feelings of guilt and professional inadequacy if they were the ones who made a mistake, or may wonder if others may retaliate against them - questioning their competence, calling them disruptive or unprofessional, etc - if they speak up. The pressure to maintain a culture of silence can lead healthcare providers to become defensive or secretive about incidents of harm, hindering transparent communication and learning opportunities that could improve patient safety. This where Safespace Networks wants to make an impact. Report anonymously and know that your reporting will be further anonymized. We partner with champions in healthcare so they see patterns of harm and advocate to fix them. If you work in the healthcare system, choose a pseudonymous option to report and keep your credibility without putting your reputation at risk.

Congratulations Alika Lafontaine!

The Canadian Medical Association Journal published a study this month (March 2024), looking at the high rates of physician incivility in the healthcare workplace. More than 75% of health care employees have witnessed uncivil behaviour from physicians,2 and 31% of physicians report receiving weekly or daily rude, dismissive or aggressive communication from other doctors. "Incivility" is a catch all term that could describe actions like: - Interrupting or talking over someone - Sarcastic or demeaning remarks - Ignoring or excluding others - Using dismissive body language - Being rude or abrupt in person or online - many others The study goes on to talk about how toxic workplaces contribute to the problem and the effect that it has on patient care. What it doesn't talk about is how important it is to REPORT that behavior and the barriers to why that does not happen. Whether your a patient or a provider, reporting physician incivility comes at a cost. A lot of those times that cost isn't worth it. What if there was a way to report, but in a safer and anonymous way? Safespace Networks Ontario is providing that opportunity through the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council. Visit https://bit.ly/3uZRSZ6 to learn more.

Just because you don't hear about a problem, does not mean it doesn't exist. This is a case in point, the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) released a report Friday compiling their own research about the effects of being overworked has on nurses and on patients. “You’re working with all these meds and yet you can’t even drive yourself home,” reads one account from the report. “Some of us turn up the radio and roll down the windows, but I still always tell myself it’s the grace of God sometimes because you’re physically so compromised.” Terrifying. You might ask, why don't providers and patients speak up more? Fear of reprisal and a belief that nothing will change - because both have happened in the past over and over. If you're a patient or provider wanting to share your story safely and anonymously, visit our reporting page. If you had this experience in Ontario or BC it will be aggregated into patterns of harm and given to advocates to push forward solutions that will help fix your problem. We're actively moving forward networks in other parts of Canada, so keep those stories coming. Report here 👇 https://lnkd.in/gJ5pCK8K