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Each summer, Ariadne Labs hosts a cohort of interns who come from various backgrounds. They study a variety of subjects and assist the organization’s programs and platforms. As they wrap up their summer internships, we asked them to reflect on their experiences and what brought them to Ariadne. Prepare to be inspired. Leila Ben Halim,… Continue reading What I did on my summer vacation: Inspiring reflections from our interns

By Sue Gullo, RN, BSN, MS Illustrated by Courtney Staples “Implementation” may sound like a term reserved for the company boardroom, but really we are all implementers. We regularly identify opportunities for change or improvement and then turn these ideas into action. I do this every day when prepping for my commute to work. Do… Continue reading Implementation: A unique approach to spreading health care solutions globally

By Evan Benjamin, MD MS and Tiffany Xie Illustrated by Courtney Staples In 1994, Betsy Lehman, a celebrated reporter for The Boston Globe, died of an overdose of chemotherapy. After a series of fatal mistakes from her care team, Lehman received four times the intended dose of chemotherapy, which led to her premature death at… Continue reading What’s an apology worth?

By Evan M. Benjamin, MD, MS, and Meghan Long, MHA Illustrated by Courtney Staples As we gear up for the Boston Marathon, one of the world’s best known road races, we are also marking Patient Safety Awareness Week. This celebrated 26-mile race next month is a testament to commitment, dedication and persistence in the face… Continue reading Patient Safety is a Marathon, not a Sprint

By Evan M Benjamin, MD, MS, FACP Last week, the president of the parent organization of Somerville Hospital near Boston apologized in person to the husband of Laura Levis, who died outside the hospital two years ago after finding an emergency room entry locked. “I’m very sorry for what happened to your wife….I take personal… Continue reading Why hospitals should apologize after harming patients

By Evan M Benjamin, MD, MS, FACP If you are anywhere in the vicinity of Boston these days, you’ve probably been swept up in the World Series excitement. As I write this, the Red Sox have won two of seven and we’ll be tuned in for Game 3 in L.A. tonight. Like any insufferable baseball… Continue reading Confessions of a Red Sox Fan: Yogi Berra and Healthcare

By Evan M Benjamin, MD, MS, FACP Health System Innovations are novel approaches that may improve the quality, safety or efficiency of health care delivery. One of the issues that plagues health system improvement is the frustrating fact that diffusion of innovation takes a long time and is often fraught with failures to spread. Throughout… Continue reading Public health’s next frontier: Overcoming Barriers to Health System Innovations at Scale

Ariadne Labs Jul 11, 2018·4 min read By Janaka Lagoo MD, MPH For far too long, we’ve tolerated poor communication and lack of professionalism by surgeons toward fellow clinicians and even patients. At the extreme, surgeons have been known to yell, bully or intimidate their clinical peers. However, there are also more commonplace examples of… Continue reading Surgeons behaving badly and what that means for malpractice and patient care

Ariadne Labs Mar 18, 2018·5 min read Clinicians from around the world are interested in finding tools to improve the quality of the care they provide to women and infants during childbirth. Ariadne Labs has partnered with implementers in over 30 countries across the world to integrate the WHO Safe Childbirth Checklist into their current… Continue reading Safe Childbirth Checklist Implementation: Stories from a high-volume birthing hospital in Sudan