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Title:
Patient Safety
Author:
Neal D. Kohatsu, MD, MPH,
Fellow,
ACPM
Date:
January 29, 2003
WHEREAS,
an Institute of Medicine report estimates
that medical errors may result in 44,000
to 98,000 deaths per year in the U.S., (1)
and
WHEREAS,
deaths due to preventable adverse events
in health care exceeds the number of
deaths attributable to motor vehicle
accidents, breast cancer, or AIDS, (1) and
WHEREAS,
national costs for preventable adverse
events in health care are between $17
billion and $29 billion (1), and
WHEREAS,
evidence-based medicine has helped to
define many effective interventions that
can reduce medical errors and patient harm
(2), and
WHEREAS,
scientific consensus emphasizes a
systems-based approach to patient safety
as being most effective (2), and
WHEREAS,
tools of preventive medicine such as
surveillance and analysis, clinical
epidemiology, workplace design,
cost-effectiveness analysis, guidelines,
quality improvement, policy development,
and legislation are widely acknowledged as
essential in local and national efforts to
enhance patient safety (1), and
WHEREAS,
preventive medicine specialties have
contributed much to the science of
understanding and reducing human error
(1), and
WHEREAS,
specific recommendations regarding the
role of preventive medicine in patient
safety have been published in the American
Journal of Preventive Medicine (3), and
WHEREAS,
recent surveys have shown that there is
confusion and potential misunderstanding
among physicians and the general public
regarding the importance of patient
safety, the causes of medical errors, and
the interventions that might improve
patient safety (4),(5),
BE IT
RESOLVED,
THAT: The
American College of Preventive Medicine
(ACPM) demonstrate leadership in the area
of patient safety by supporting and
working with the Institute of Medicine,
Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality, the National Patient Safety
Foundation, the American Medical
Association, Veterans Health
Administration, the Quality Interagency
Coordination Task Force, the National
Quality Forum, the Forum for Leadership in
the Specialty of Preventive Medicine, and
other entities committed to improving
patient safety.
THAT: The
ACPM work, in partnership with other
organizations, to increase public and
professional understanding of patient
safety as a public health problem that can
and should be effectively addressed.
THAT: The
ACPM encourage preventive medicine
residency programs develop the educational
interventions and approaches that prepare
their graduates to be leaders in improving
patient safety.
THAT: The
ACPM support research in patient safety,
specific to clinical preventive services,
to reduce medical errors.
THAT: The
ACPM encourage the American Journal of
Preventive Medicine and other preventive
medicine journals to increase their
content related to patient safety, thereby
increasing knowledge and stimulating
additional research.
THAT: The
ACPM invite qualified members to serve
where appropriate on workgroups,
coalitions, and committees to advance
patient safety research, interventions,
policies, and legislation that are
consistent with its mission and
objectives.
THAT: The
ACPM support policies and legislation that
address patient safety through effective
and efficient approaches.
REFERENCES
1. Kohn
LT, Corrigan JM, Donaldson MS, eds. To err
is human: building a safer health system.
Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press,
2000.
2. Leape
LL, Berwick DM, and Bates DW. What
practices will most improve safety?
evidence-based medicine meets patient
safety. JAMA 2002;288:501-507.
3. Davis
RM and Barach P. Enhancing patient safety
and reducing medical error: the role of
preventive medicine. Am J Prev Med
200;19:202-205.
4.
Blendon RJ, DesRoches CM, Brodie M, et al.
Views of practicing physicians and the
public on medical errors. New Engl J Med
2002;347:1933-40.
5.
Robinson AR, Hohmann KB, Rifkin JI, et al.
Physician and public opinions on quality
of health care and the problem of medical
errors. Arch Intern Med 2002;162:2186-90.
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