A measured approach

Interprofessional in purpose, format, and implementation, the MORE^OB Program emphasizes that patient safety is everyone’s responsibility, all of the time.

With this approach, the MORE^OB Program recognizes that a hospital’s obstetrical unit shares many of the characteristics that define High Reliability Organizations (HROs). HROs are complex, intensely interactive and technical environments in which a variety of professional disciplines with diverse roles and responsibilities work together.

With over a decade of experience, we have demonstrated that the following HRO principles can be successfully adopted within the culture of obstetrical units:

• Safety is the priority and is everyone’s responsibility
• Communication is highly valued
• Operations are a team effort
• Emergencies are rehearsed
• Hierarchy disappears in an emergency. Decisions on safety issues can be made at any level of the organization
• There is interprofessional review of routine functions, near misses and unexpected events¹

The MORE^OB Program follows these overarching phases:

Adhering to these phases helps us successfully apply the HRO principles in practice.