Articles on Perinatal Quality & Safety

Cesarean delivery remains the most commonly performed major surgical procedure in the United States (Robinson et al., 2024). While it may be unlikely to have a wrong-patient or wrong procedure event in a cesarean delivery, unlikely does not eliminate all risk, especially given the variation in settings and concomitant procedures that may be occurring. The SSC also covers may other areas of surgical safety that are critical for patients.

This article describes the evolution, impact, and clinical necessity of TeamSTEPPS, an evidence-based team training framework developed by the DoD and AHRQ to enhance healthcare safety through aviation-inspired communication strategies. By utilizing standardized tools like SBAR, CUS, and structured huddles, the program fosters psychological safety and ensures accurate information exchange among multi-disciplinary teams working in high-stress, high-risk environments.

This article explores the critical role of psychological safety in delivering safe, high-quality healthcare, particularly within multidisciplinary teams operating in complex, high-stakes environments.