Visual Workplace Radio: Let The Workplace Speak

Did you know that an estimated 44,000 to 98,000 people die each year in US hospitals due to medical errors? The number of people injured—or requiring prolonged hospital stays—due to errors is ten times that. Other research shows 5%-10% of all pharmacy prescriptions contain errors, 70% are significant, 14% serious, and 16% potentially fatal. In today’s show, host Gwendolyn Galsworth interviews poka-yoke expert, Martin Hinckley, on the sources of error in healthcare and how simple, inexpensive mistake-proof solutions can eliminate them forever. Mistake-proofing (aka, poka-yoke or visual guarantees) is a visual workplace method that targets non-conformance due to variation, errors, and complexity. Highly effective in every workplace, poka-yoke devices excel in life-sensitive medical settings. Yet, they are rarely used. Instead, efforts often reflect little understanding of the attributes of mistakes and basic mistake-proofing principles. Tune in. Call in. Join the discussion.