Patient Safety
It has been nearly ten years since the Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System. This report stated that medical errors kill 98,000 Americans each year — the equivalent of a 270-passenger jumbo jet crashing every day. These events still cause more deaths than breast cancer, AIDS or auto accidents.
Adverse events or errors due to medical care are a global health concern that affects all countries regardless of their level of economic development. "Studies show that additional medical expenses, [falls with injuries, pressure ulcers, medication errors], infections acquired in hospitals, lost income, decreased patient satisfaction, disability and litigation cost some countries between US $6 billion and US $29 billion a year1. " Many of these adverse events and errors are preventable, making attention to Patient Safety a global priority. As part of an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) ACTION project, YNHHS-CHS, The Joint Commission and the University of Maryland are working together to understand what factors prevent or support implementation of evidence-based practices aimed at decreasing the occurrence of central line associated bloodstream infections.
The need to focus attention on improving patient safety will continue to grow with solutions for healthcare by healthcare. The Yale New Haven Health System Center for Healthcare Solutions (YNHHS-CHS) can assist your efforts to create and sustain a culture of safety while achieving compliance with regulatory standards by:
- Delivering education and training programs in multiple modalities
- Providing evidence-based teamwork training using TeamSTEPPS™ (Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety)
YNHHS-CHS and its team of healthcare professionals can assist your team protect your patients and staff from potentially devastating and life-threatening illnesses.
1The Research Priority Setting Working Group of the WHO World Alliance for Patient Safety. Summary of the Evidence on Patient Safety: Implications for Research. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2008.
