Recent High-Impact Publications on Patient Safety (2021–2025)

In the last five years, the ten most-cited articles with “patient safety” in their titles have addressed patient safety from different dimensions and generated common patterns. The studies cluster into three main domains: (i) healthcare worker burnout and workload, (ii) technological innovations and artificial intelligence applications, and (iii) system-level culture, communication, and organizational frameworks.

The first group focuses particularly on the impact of burnout on patient safety. Aiken et al. (2023) demonstrated that high levels of burnout and job dissatisfaction among nurses and physicians directly and negatively affect perceptions of patient safety. The study highlighted inadequate nurse staffing and poor work environments as critical factors. Similarly, Al-Ghunaim et al. (2022) showed through meta-analysis that surgeon burnout is associated with a 2.5-fold higher risk of medical errors and leads to losses in professionalism. These two articles emphasize that burnout is not merely an individual issue but a systemic threat to patient safety.

The second group highlights the potential of technological innovations. Bates et al. (2021) systematically demonstrated across eight harm domains that artificial intelligence can serve as a powerful tool for predicting and preventing adverse events. Likewise, Yang et al. (2022) provided experimental evidence that self-powered triboelectric sensors can enhance safety and efficiency in nurse–patient interactions. Together, these articles underscore the transformative role of digitalization and next-generation sensor technologies in patient safety.

The third group focuses on system-level culture and processes. Ocloo et al. (2021) argued that patient and public involvement (PPI) in patient safety systems still lacks sufficient theoretical grounding and that dimensions of equity and diversity have been neglected. Vanhaecht et al. (2022) strengthened the human resource management perspective by conceptualizing healthcare workers involved in adverse events as “second victims” and emphasizing the need for organizational support. Guttman et al. (2021) contended that reducing communication errors to a generic category without root cause analysis weakens the culture of safety. Azyabi et al. (2021) reviewed tools and factors for measuring patient safety culture, showing that teamwork and organizational learning are critical determinants. Additionally, Moll et al. (2022) proposed updated safety criteria for stem cell therapies, recommending mandatory hemocompatibility testing to address thrombotic risks. Olausson et al. (2022) demonstrated through meta-analysis that opioid-free anesthesia reduces postoperative complications without compromising safety.

Taken together, these articles reveal that patient safety is not solely linked to individual clinical errors but is directly connected to healthcare worker burnout, technological adaptation, patient participation, cultural dynamics, and organizational support mechanisms. The emerging pattern clearly indicates the necessity of a holistic approach, in which the interplay of human, technological, and systemic factors must be managed simultaneously.

Methods

The literature search was conducted using the Web of Science Core Collection. The search strategy focused on the title field to identify studies directly addressing patient safety. Specifically, the phrase “patient safety” was searched in the Title (TI) field, restricted to the last five years (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025). The exact query used was: “patient safety” (Title) AND (2025 OR 2024 OR 2023 OR 2022 OR 2021) (Publication Years). This approach ensured a targeted identification of recent, high-impact studies relevant to patient safety.

The reviewed studies demonstrate that patient safety is a multidimensional concept shaped by human, technological, and organizational factors. Burnout and workload pressures significantly compromise safety, while emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and self-powered sensors offer promising avenues for prevention and monitoring. At the system level, fostering a strong safety culture, improving communication, and ensuring meaningful patient and public involvement remain critical yet underdeveloped. Collectively, the evidence underscores the necessity of a holistic, integrated approach that simultaneously addresses workforce well-being, technological innovation, and organizational culture to achieve sustainable improvements in patient safety.

Reference (APA 7. Ed.)

• Aiken, L. H., Lasater, K. B., Sloane, D. M., Pogue, C. A., Rosenbaum, K. E. F., Muir, K. J., & McHugh, M. D. (2023). Physician and nurse well-being and preferred interventions to address burnout in hospital practice: Factors associated with turnover, outcomes, and patient safety. JAMA Health Forum, 4(7), e231809. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamahealthforum.2023.1809
• Al-Ghunaim, T. A., Johnson, J., Biyani, C. S., Alshahrani, K. M., Dunning, A., & O’Connor, D. B. (2022). Surgeon burnout, impact on patient safety and professionalism: A systematic review and meta-analysis. American Journal of Surgery, 224(1), 228–238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjsurg.2021.12.027
• Azyabi, A., Karwowski, W., & Davahli, M. R. (2021). Assessing patient safety culture in hospital settings. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(5), 2466. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18052466
• Bates, D. W., Levine, D., Syrowatka, A., Kuznetsova, M., Craig, K. J. T., Rui, A., Jackson, G. P., & Rhee, K. (2021). The potential of artificial intelligence to improve patient safety: A scoping review. NPJ Digital Medicine, 4(1), 54. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-021-00423-6
• Guttman, O. T., Lazzara, E. H., Keebler, J. R., Webster, K. L. W., Gisick, L. M., & Baker, A. L. (2021). Dissecting communication barriers in healthcare: A path to enhancing communication resiliency, reliability, and patient safety. Journal of Patient Safety, 17(8), E1465–E1471. https://doi.org/10.1097/PTS.0000000000000541
• Moll, G., Ankrum, J. A., Olson, S. D., & Nolta, J. A. (2022). Improved MSC minimal criteria to maximize patient safety: A call to embrace tissue factor and hemocompatibility assessment of MSC products. Stem Cells Translational Medicine, 11(1), 2–13. https://doi.org/10.1093/stcltm/szab005
• Ocloo, J., Garfield, S., Franklin, B. D., & Dawson, S. (2021). Exploring the theory, barriers and enablers for patient and public involvement across health, social care and patient safety: A systematic review of reviews. Health Research Policy and Systems, 19(1), 8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12961-020-00644-3
• Olausson, A., Svensson, C. J., Andrell, P., Jildenstal, P., Thorn, S. E., & Wolf, A. (2022). Total opioid-free general anaesthesia can improve postoperative outcomes after surgery, without evidence of adverse effects on patient safety and pain management: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica, 66(2), 170–185. https://doi.org/10.1111/aas.13994
• Vanhaecht, K., Seys, D., Russotto, S., Strametz, R., Mira, J., Sigurgeirsdottir, S., Wu, A. W., Polluste, K., Popovici, D. G., Sfetcu, R., Kurt, S., & Panella, M. (2022). An evidence and consensus-based definition of second victim: A strategic topic in healthcare quality, patient safety, person-centeredness and human resource management. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(24), 16869. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416869
• Yang, J., An, J., Sun, Y., Zhang, J., Zu, L., Li, H., Jiang, T., Chen, B., & Wang, Z. L. (2022). Transparent self-powered triboelectric sensor based on PVA/PA hydrogel for promoting human–machine interaction in nursing and patient safety. Nano Energy, 97, 107199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nanoen.2022.107199