RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to assess the value of applying operating principles for High Reliability Organizations (HROs) to Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) centres in order to optimise their operation and results. METHODS: Two exploratory qualitative case studies, in the form of ethnographic observations, were conducted in two public hospitals (Antoine-Béclère Hospital, Clamart and Nantes University Hospital). The studies analysed the structural and functional characteristics of these centres compared to HROs. Specific interviews, based on the HRO model from Roberts and Rousseau (1989), were also carried out. RESULTS: The in vitro fertilisation (IVF) procedure is comprised of a sequence of steps for which success depends on the cooperation of a range of medical staff across various specialties. Patients themselves must also play an active part in the protocol. From the different points analysed, the comparison between the characteristics of IVF activity at the ART units and those of HROs reveals structural and functional similarities, however there are also cultural differences. CONCLUSION: The study concluded that ART centres are complex healthcare organisations that face similar challenges to HROs and that they could improve their operational performance by adopting an HRO culture. To confirm the interest of this strategy, it would be useful to clarify these preliminary results by extending the exploratory study to include several public and private ART centres, and to explore the patient/couple dimension before initiating an interventional study.