JCAHO Patient Safety
Background 1999 Institute of Medicine report: “To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System” Estimated 44,000 – 98,000 medical error deaths annually More than from highway accidents, breast cancer, or AIDS
What Must We Do? Create Culture of Safety Program development and oversight Program development and oversight Patient Safety Committee Encourage error reporting Encourage error reporting Non-punitive system Don’t tolerate cover-ups Support employees involved in serious errors
Culture of Safety (continued) Root Cause Analysis Root Cause Analysis Intensely analyze the error Redesign system
Ask Questions Safety Survey: ask for suggestions on improving safety Safety Survey: ask for suggestions on improving safety Employees Medical staff Patients
Disclose Unanticipated Outcomes and Errors The attending physician or his designee must tell the patient if: The attending physician or his designee must tell the patient if: the outcome is significantly different from that anticipated an error occurred there is a surgical complication This discussion is documented in the medical record This discussion is documented in the medical record