How do policies and metrics shape the outcome of investigations?

In this episode, Drew and David examine how organizational policies and performance metrics can inadvertently constrain learning from safety investigations. They discuss "Closing Investigations: The Role of National Policy in Shaping Structural, Organisational and Relational Constraints on Learning from Patient Safety Incidents" by Mesinioti, Macrae, Sheard, Hampton, Louch, and O'Hara, published in Safety Science. The research, based on NHS England's investigation system handling over 2 million patient safety events annually, reveals how rigid timelines and compliance requirements often prioritize closure over meaningful learning.