Although events can never be eliminated, the basis of the MERS-TM philosophy is that risk to donors and patients from events must be reduced. To get the information necessary to reduce risk, an environment of learning must be fostered in each organization.

To build a learning environment, organizational culture must be moved in a direction that supports these goals. One element of this movement involves deciding at which level discipline is most effective at reducing risk. This determination requires examining and reformulating current disciplinary standards.