Importance of Communication

• Communication failure has been identified as the leading root cause of sentinel events over the past 10 years (Joint Commission)

• Communication failure is a primary contributing factor in almost 80% of more than 6000 root cause analyses of adverse events and close calls (VA Center for Patient Safety)

Slide Notes:

Supporting info:

The Joint Commission analyzed the sentinel events that were reported to them over the last 10 years and identified communication failure as the leading root cause of sentinel events.

The Veterans Administration (VA) National Center for Patient Safety database shows similar results, with communication failure cited as a primary contributing factor to adverse events and close calls.