Patient safety expert and author David Marx in the Wall Street Journal article on hospital culture

PRLog (Press Release) - Mar 17, 2010 -
Dallas, Texas / March 17, 2010 - The criminal prosecution of error is back in the news. The Wall Street Journal’s Laura Landro interviewed patient safety expert and author David Marx for her article, “New Focus on Averting Errors: Hospital Culture,” ( http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405274870458840457... ) addressing hospital responses in the aftermath of medical errors.

Citing the case of a Wisconsin nurse, Julie Thao, who accidentally killed her patient four years ago, Landro highlights Marx’s work with hospitals, states and nursing boards across the country in implementing his Just Culture model. Landro points out that Marx’s model “stresses finding a middle ground between a blame-free culture … and overly punitive culture...”

In his book, Whack-a-Mole: The Price We Pay For Expecting Perfection, Marx speaks directly to Thao’s case and other high-profile cases of human error, and calls for an end to America’s tendency to believe that punishing people for mistakes is the best path.

Yesterday the American Nurses Association (ANA) released a press release, endorsing the Just Culture and calling for the fair and just treatment of America’s 3 million nurses.

“It is ANA’s belief that the tenets of just culture – when applied to nursing – can create a personal sense of responsibility and accountability for system improvement, enhance the ability to improve patient care delivery systems, and create a workplace culture that encourages quality and safety,” the statement said.

Having observed accountability swept aside and justice misapplied to those who err, Marx, CEO of Outcome Engineering in Plano, Texas, has brought the message of the Just Culture to a broader audience in Whack-a-Mole. Marx illustrates the typical ways that society responds to mistakes and recasts them in the light of what justice ought to look like.

“If we want to see true, lasting change, it must begin with how we hold one another accountable,” says Marx. “By dismissing the quality of the choices that our neighbors, coworkers and government officials make, we perpetuate a destructive cycle and passively condone reckless behavior.”

In Whack-a-Mole, Mr. Marx takes readers on an insightful and often humorous journey through criminal cases and stories about sports, healthcare, aviation, business and parenting—arguing that it’s time to stop punishing our mates, neighbors, coworkers and children when they make a mistake.

To receive a copy of Whack-a-Mole, or to schedule an interview with David Marx, please contact Amanda Bray at By Your Side Studios at (214) 778-2039 or send an e-mail to editor@byyoursidestudios.com. More information about Whack-a-Mole can be found at http://www.whackamolethebook.com/