What Clinical Accountability Actually Means

The gap between being named as accountable for clinical safety and being set up to exercise that accountability well.

👋🏻 Hey there! This is the third post in the Foundation Series, exploring what clinical product actually is.

The third post in the Foundation Series is up on the site.

👉 Read the full post here

This one gets into what it actually means when your job description says “accountable for clinical safety.” Most organisations know they need someone carrying that accountability - they just don’t always realise what that person needs to do it well, or they’re not willing to provide it.

I break down what you’re really accountable for (clinical accuracy, safety, appropriateness), what that looks like in practice, and the difference between responsibility and accountability - especially if you’re solo, which many clinical product people are.

I also talk about the weight of it. You’re making decisions that affect patients at scale, often with incomplete information and people waiting for you to say yes. You will get things wrong. The question is whether your mistakes are defensible.

There’s a practical framing in there too - three questions I use to pressure-test whether something is ready to ship.

---