Patient safety has emerged as an issue within quality during the last few years with the recognition that significant numbers of patients are being harmed by easily preventable problems such as improperly labeled prescriptions, drugs given in the wrong amount or to the wrong patients, slips and falls due to improper maintenance, and the like.

Ensuring that patients are safe is the first thing that needs to be done to follow the ancient medical motto primum non nocere : "first do no harm".  Another way to understand the issue is this:  If you are in an accident and are transported by helicopter to a hospital, making sure that the trauma team is competent and available as a quality issue.  Making sure that the helicopter doesn't crash is a patient safety issue.

Many States have established patient safety authorities; many Medicaid programs are beginning to make patient safety an important focus of their efforts.  The links below provide a wealth of information.

Downloads
SMD Letter on Never Events [PDF, 107 KB]
Related Links Inside CMS
CMS Never Events Initiative
Related Links Outside CMS
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Patient Safety Network Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority New York Patient Safety Authority University of Texas Center of Excellence of Patient Safety Research and Practice World Health Organization Alliance for Patient Safety World Health Organization Safe Surgery Initiative Institute for Healthcare Improvement American Society for Healthcare Risk Management Joint Commission Patient Safety Initiative

Page Last Modified: 09/15/2009 8:37:45 AM
Help with File Formats and Plug-Ins