Exploring the impact of compassion and leadership on patient safety and quality in healthcare systems: a narrative review

• Published in: BMJ open quality Vol. 13; no. Suppl 2; p. e002651
• Main Authors: Ahmed, Zakiuddin, Ellahham, Samer, Soomro, Marium, Shams, Sohaima, Latif, Kanwal
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England British Medical Journal Publishing Group 07-05-2024; BMJ Publishing Group LTD; BMJ Publishing Group
• Subjects: Burnout, Professional; Compassion; Delivery of Health Care - methods; Delivery of Health Care - standards; Empathy; Healthcare quality improvement; Humans; Leadership; Medical errors; Nursing care; Organizational Culture; Patient safety; Patient Safety - standards; Patient Safety - statistics & numerical data; Quality improvement; Quality of care; Quality of Health Care - standards; Quality of Health Care - statistics & numerical data; Review; Transformational leadership; Patient safety; Leadership; Quality improvement; Burnout, Professional; Healthcare quality improvement
• DOI: 10.1136/bmjoq-2023-002651
• EISSN: 2399-6641

BackgroundPatient safety and healthcare quality are considered integral parts of the healthcare system that are driven by a dynamic combination of human and non-human factors. This review article provides an insight into the two major human factors that impact patient safety and quality including compassion and leadership. It also discusses how compassion is different from empathy and explores the impact of both compassion and leadership on patient safety and healthcare quality. In addition, this review also provides strategies for the improvement of patient safety and healthcare quality through compassion and effective leadership.MethodsThis narrative review explores the existing literature on compassion and leadership and their combined impact on patient safety and healthcare quality. The literature for this purpose was gathered from published research articles, reports, recommendations and guidelines.ResultsThe findings from the literature suggest that both compassion and transformational leadership can create a positive culture where healthcare professionals (HCPs) prioritise patient safety and quality. Leaders who exhibit compassion are more likely to inspire their teams to deliver patient-centred care and focus on error prevention.ConclusionCompassion can become an antidote for the burnout of HCPs. Compassion is a behaviour that is not only inherited but can also be learnt. Both compassionate care and transformational leadership improve organisational culture, patient experience, patient engagement, outcomes and overall healthcare excellence. We propose that transformational leadership that reinforces compassion remarkably improves patient safety, patient engagement and quality.