New Research Focused on Patient Safety

Four research studies designed to improve patient safety will soon be getting under way as a result of awards from the U.S. National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF, Chicago, IL, USA). The four award winners received up to US$100,000 each for their projects. The NPSF is an independent, nonprofit research and education organization dedicated to the improvement of patient safety.

One study will seek to define the various types of diagnostic errors in internal medicine and measure the frequency and impact of each type. The researchers will attempt to identify the underlying cognitive processes that contribute to those errors and estimate the likelihood that changes in background system factors could eliminate them. The study will be conducted at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Northport, NY (USA).

A second study will determine whether the provision of a dedicated, specially trained medication nurse will reduce the number of medication-administration errors in a hospital setting. The study will be conducted at Cedars-Sinai Health System in Los Angeles, CA, and Ohio State University Hospital in Columbus (both in USA).

A third study will attempt to understand the nature and mechanisms of errors in emergency departments. The research team will seek to find out how and why these errors occur. The study will be conducted at the University of Florida in Gainesville and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor (both in USA).

The fourth study, based on the successful use of checklists developed in aviation and anesthesia practices, will develop an intraoperative safety checklist to reduce the frequency of procedural variance, adverse events, and errors in the operating room. A protocol for performance of laparoscopic cholecystectomy will be developed through review of current surgical practices and focus groups conducted among expert clinicians and tested by comparing two videotaped groups of doctors. The study will be conducted at the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville, USA.



Related Links:
National Patient Safety Foundation