Patient Safety - Module Overview

Patient Safety and Quality Summit

 

Module Introduction

For the past 23 years, since the 1999 IOM report To Err is Human was published, healthcare leaders have been challenged to improve patient safety. We have learned a great deal since then about the importance of continuous performance improvement, but preventable medical error remains the third leading cause of death in the United States. Today's healthcare leaders have very high expectations placed upon them to reduce harm and improve patient outcomes, but sadly their efforts often fail because their organization lacks a systems-based approach to improvement. 

High Reliability Organizations (HROs) know that establishing safe systems as a foundation is necessary to sustain improvement for any group or patient population. In this 4-week module, you will learn more about the characteristics of such highly reliable systems. You will apply your new knowledge using a case study approach, and develop an organizational Patient Safety Strategic Plan. 

Becoming a highly reliable organization (HRO) is not easy, and requires a commitment across all levels of the organization, beginning with the board of directors and the executive team. Although difficult, this should not be optional for organizations, because we could save hundreds of thousands of lives each year and prevent harm to many more, if every healthcare organization were an HRO. The past 20 years has taught us that we can't sustain quality improvement without a foundation of a person-centered culture of safety, a holistic framework for continuous improvement that is led by senior leadership, and a model for sustainment that includes effective education and communication. 

Learning Outcomes

  1. Differentiate between quality management and patient safety. 
  2. Explain the role of reliability science in healthcare improvement. 
  3. Identify strategies to improve patient safety and system reliability. 

Course Material

Reading Readings

Required Readings

Chapters 8 & 9 from Spath, P.L. (2018) Introduction to Healthcare Quality, 3rd Ed. Health Administration Press: Chicago, IL.