In a now-famous 1999 report, researchers from the Institute of Medicine noted that medical errors are likely a major cause of death in hospitalized individuals—perhaps as many as 98,000 annually. The IOM went on to say that these errors are often not simply performance errors, but preventable errors resulting from flaws in hospital processes, lapses in communication, or vulnerabilities in medical care systems.
In order to increase patient safety, all segments of a health care organization must constantly evaluate and adapt their systems to minimize not just medical errors, but also the risk of error. Best practices in medical care, including the clinical laboratory, must include a valued and actualized incorporation of process evaluation, risk management, and continuous quality improvement. The following links are offered to provide information for medical professionals who wish to learn about medical error and patient safety, but their inclusion here does not indicate an endorsement from AACC.
AACC Task Force on Patient Safety & Laboratory Error
- Michael Astion, MD, PhD (Chair)
University of Washington (Seattle, WA)
- David Bernard, MD, PhD
The Methodist Hospital (Houston, TX)
- Devery Howerton, PhD
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Atlanta, GA)
- Melissa Pessin-Minsley, MD, PhD
New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Cornell Campus (New York, NY)
- Mario Plebani, MD
Azienda Ospedaliera di Padova (Padova, Italy)
AACC Patient Safety-Focused Products
Patient Safety and The Clinical Laboratory-Articles from Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Laboratory News
Patient Safety-Focused Publications
Patient Safety in AACC'S Expert Access Forum
Other Patient Safety Initiatives
Missing Links