Overview

Clinical Competency Committees (CCCs) regularly address challenging resident performance issues, including professionalism, interpersonal communication, and patient care. These discussions often lack standardized approaches, potentially leading to bias, inconsistent recommendations, and compromised psychological safety for learners and faculty alike. Our workshop introduces an innovative application of principles from high reliability organizations (HRO) and Just Culture, specifically tailored to enhance CCC operations. High Reliability Organizations prioritize consistency, proactive error prevention, and continuous improvement through structured processes and clear communication. Just Culture emphasizes fairness, transparency, and accountability. Integrating these principles into CCCs significantly enhances decision-making clarity, promotes objective evaluations, and fosters psychological safety for both residents and committee members. Specifically, the application of HRO concepts helps committees systematically recognize and mitigate biases, such as the "halo" and "horn" phenomena, leading to more equitable outcomes. Participants will engage in an interactive overview of core HRO and Just Culture concepts, emphasizing their role in creating transparent, fair, and psychologically safe environments for performance management discussions. Using an innovative, easy-to-follow, algorithm-based decision support tool rooted in these principles, attendees will actively participate in small-group role-play scenarios. At our institution, implementing this tool across competencies has significantly improved the quality of CCC discussions, promoting equity and psychological safety. Attendees will depart equipped with practical knowledge and tools to enhance CCC effectiveness immediately.

Speakers

Candice Mateja, DO
Jeffrey Cummings, MD
Tashalei Chau, N/A
Deborah Humphrey, MD

Content Track

Administration

Audience

GME

Program Type

University-Based

Additional Information

Year Published: 2025 - APDIM Fall Meeting 2025