ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the state of the science and practice related to patient safety culture and leadership strategies for strengthening culture and addressing challenges associated with punitive cultures. It discusses practical issues related to assessing patient safety culture in practice. The chapter describes the fundamental definitions and models of organizational culture and related concepts of patient safety culture and climate in the healthcare context. It also discusses the antecedents and factors that influence how cultures emerge, develop, and change over time, as well as the outcomes linked to culture in the healthcare context. The chapter summarizes the existing evidence on the leadership strategies and interventions thought to influence organizational culture. Most theoretical models of patient safety culture build on models of general organizational culture to characterize culture as a dynamic state rather than an end point or outcome, a critical point for healthcare leaders to consider.
