Linking Ethics Resources to Patient Safety

Quality and patient safety are at the top of every healthcare organization’s list of strategic goals. Though the safety and quality journey is a continuous process, little work has connected ethics to the goals of patient safety and high-quality care. One notable exception is the work of John J. Donnellan Jr., LFACHE, who has connected the core ethics principles of autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence and justice to the Institute of Medicine’s quality aims. For example, the work of ethics programs and consultants in promoting shared decision-making among patients, families and providers achieves the aim of patient-centered care.