Patient Safety Awareness Week is March 10 – 16, 2019
Patient Safety Awareness Week is an initiative of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). During this week, IHI seeks to inspire action to improve health care safety for patients and healthcare workers around the world.
According to IHI, “Although there has been real progress made in patient safety over the past two decades, current estimates place harm as a leading cause of death worldwide. Some studies suggest that medical error may cause as many as 400,000 deaths in the US each year, and not all errors result in death.”
Medical errors can and do occur in all types of healthcare settings.
- According to a consensus reportfrom the National Academy of Medicine, estimates suggest that 5 percent of US adults who seek care in outpatient settings experience a diagnostic error.
- The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality estimates that, at any time, 1 in 31 hospitalized patients has an infection acquired in the health setting.
- Medication errors and adverse events are among the most common errors in both inpatient and outpatient settings.
What can you do this week?
Join a Complimentary Webcast
Wednesday, March 13, 2:00 – 3:00 PM ET
Advancing Patient Safety Beyond the Hospital
Speakers include experts from IHI, AHRQ, and Stanford Health. This program is offered free of charge, but registration is required. Learn more and register.
Take the Pledge
IHI encourages healthcare professionals and the general public to pledge to help reduce harm in health care.
Join a Twitter Chat
Thursday, March 14, Noon–1:00 PM
Improving Diagnosis in Ambulatory Settings
Join with the hashtag #PSAW19. Get details.
AHRQ
Subscribe to AHRQ’s Patient Safety Listserv or AHRQ News Now to get the latest information on patient safety.
Patient Safety Resources by Setting
Patient Safety & Quality Measurement Resources
Tools to Engage Patients and Families
Additional IHI Resources
For Health Professionals
Take the online Safety Culture Assessment and see where your organization stands in the effort to create a culture of safety.
Listen to the WIHI broadcast Sustaining and Strengthening Safety Huddles.
Download a free resource, Closing the Loop: A Guide to Safer Ambulatory Referrals in the EHR Era.
Learn how to conduct Root Cause Analyses and Actions. Download the free resource RCA2: Improving Root Cause Analyses and Actions to Prevent Harm.
Download the related resource, Leading a Culture of Safety: A Blueprint for Success, which offers strategies and tactics for leaders at every level to create and sustain a safety culture.
Read the IHI White Paper, A Framework for Safe, Reliable, Effective Care.
For Consumers
Listen to the WIHI broadcast replay, Who’s Your Health Care Proxy? Speakers from the IHI’s Conversation Project discuss how to choose a health care proxy and what resources are available to help.
Visit the Conversation Project website for tools and resources to help you have conversations with loved ones facing complex medical conditions or end-of-life care decisions.
Download the Ask Me 3 resources, which can help you think about what questions to ask your health providers.
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