Although the implementation of health information technology has improved safety, it has also been associated with unintended consequences that can contribute to patient harm. The SAFER Guides were developed to ensure safe implementation of electronic health records across health care systems. However, the extent to which these best practices have been adopted remains unknown. Researchers examined the degree to which 8 organizations adhered to the 140 SAFER recommendations and found that the majority of best practices were not implemented. Across the 8 sites, 25 of the 140 recommendations were fully implemented. A past PSNet perspective discussed the safety of electronic health records.

Health care institutions are increasingly focused on teaching quality improvement and patient safety to both faculty and trainees. This study describes the implementation of an online course comprised of three quizzes to teach important concepts related to quality improvement, patient safety, and care transitions across five academic medical centers.