Quality: Selected Research and Readings
The Focus on Quality: A Closer Look at a National Trend
In recent years, insurers have become more involved in healthcare decisions through the rise of managed care, and increasing expenditures have spurred interested parties – like employers who pay for health benefits – to become involved in initiatives to control expenses. As a result, the concept of healthcare quality assessment and improvement has begun to garner increased public attention. Click here to open and save the accompanying PowerPoint presentation.
(Kirstin Craciun and Michele Egan, The Center for Health Affairs, April 2006)
To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System
This report is largely credited with drawing increased public attention to the issue of medical errors. Widely cited is the finding that nationwide between 44,000 to 98,000 deaths occur due to medical errors. The authors recommend that performance standards and expectations for healthcare organizations place a greater focus on patient safety and urge a comprehensive approach to improve patient safety.
(Institute of Medicine, National Academies Press, 2000)
Mistake-Proofing the Design of Health Care Processes
Over 150 real-world examples of ways to prevent medical errors or the negative effect of medical errors are contained in this publication. Drawing on examples from clinicians working in the field as well as research from several academic disciplines, this book is aimed at supporting the work of in-the-trenches workers.
(Grout, J., Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, May 2007)
Committed to Safety: Ten Case Studies on Reducing Harm to Patients
Case studies of healthcare organizations, clinical teams, and learning collaborations that have designed innovations that hold great promise for improving patient safety nationally are explored in this report. Innovations include: promoting an organizational culture of safety, improving teamwork and communication, enhancing rapid response to prevent heart attacks and other crises in the hospital, preventing healthcare-associated infections in the intensive care unit, and preventing adverse drug events throughout the hospital.
(McCarthy, D. and Blumenthal, D., The Commonwealth Fund, April 2006)
Last Updated: July 1, 2008
