Abstract
Purpose:
The purpose of this paper is to review existing research on whistleblowing in healthcare in order to develop an evidence base for policy and research.
Design/methodology/approach:
A narrative review, based on systematic literature protocols developed within the management field.
Findings:
The authors identify valuable insights on the factors that influence healthcare whistleblowing, and how organizations respond, but also substantial gaps in the coverage of the literature, which is overly focused on nursing, has been largely carried out in the UK and Australia, and concentrates on the earlier stages of the whistleblowing process.
Research limitations/implications:
The review identifies gaps in the literature on whistleblowing in healthcare, but also draws attention to an unhelpful lack of connection with the much larger mainstream literature on whistleblowing.
Practical implications:
Despite the limitations to the existing literature important implications for practice can be identified, including enhancing employees’ sense of security and providing ethics training.
Originality/value:
This paper provides a platform for future research on whistleblowing in healthcare, at a time when policymakers are increasingly aware of its role in ensuring patient safety and care quality.
The purpose of this paper is to review existing research on whistleblowing in healthcare in order to develop an evidence base for policy and research.
Design/methodology/approach:
A narrative review, based on systematic literature protocols developed within the management field.
Findings:
The authors identify valuable insights on the factors that influence healthcare whistleblowing, and how organizations respond, but also substantial gaps in the coverage of the literature, which is overly focused on nursing, has been largely carried out in the UK and Australia, and concentrates on the earlier stages of the whistleblowing process.
Research limitations/implications:
The review identifies gaps in the literature on whistleblowing in healthcare, but also draws attention to an unhelpful lack of connection with the much larger mainstream literature on whistleblowing.
Practical implications:
Despite the limitations to the existing literature important implications for practice can be identified, including enhancing employees’ sense of security and providing ethics training.
Originality/value:
This paper provides a platform for future research on whistleblowing in healthcare, at a time when policymakers are increasingly aware of its role in ensuring patient safety and care quality.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 737-756 |
| Journal | Journal of Health Organization and Management |
| Volume | 33 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| Early online date | 15 Sept 2019 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 15 Sept 2019 |
Keywords
- Whistleblowing
- Patient care
- Quality healthcare
- Speaking up
Access to Document
- Blenkinsopp-2019-Whistleblowing-over-patient-JHOM-AAM
Copyright © 2019 Emerald Publishing Limited. This work has been made available online in accordance with publisher policies or with permission. Permission for further reuse of this content should be sought from the publisher or the rights holder. This is the author created accepted manuscript following peer review and may differ slightly from the final published version. The final published version of this work is available at https://doi.org/10.1108/JHOM-12-2018-0363