The PSNet Collection: All Content

The AHRQ PSNet Collection comprises an extensive selection of resources relevant to the patient safety community. These resources come in a variety of formats, including literature, research, tools, and Web sites. Resources are identified using the National Library of Medicine’s Medline database, various news and content aggregators, and the expertise of the AHRQ PSNet editorial and technical teams.

Search All Content

Clear all filter(s)

Displaying 1 - 20 of 22 Results

Care Post-Roe: Documenting Cases of Poor-quality Care Since the Dobbs Decision.

Save to Library

Grossman D, Joffe C, Kaller S, et al. Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health, University of California, San Francisco; 2023.

Overarching policy decisions have the potential to impact systems of care and harm patients. This document reports the preliminary findings of a study examining 50 cases submitted where clinicians modified care standards in response to abortion access limitations. The changes affected the timeliness, quality, safety, cost, and complexity of care delivered to pregnant patients.

Why do so many Black women die in pregnancy? One reason: doctors don't take them seriously.

Save to Library

Stafford K. AP News. May 23, 2023.

Racial inequities and implicit bias undermine safe maternal care. This article highlights the potential for maternal sepsis in the Black patient population and the role structural racism plays in this situation. The article is a part of the 2023 “Birth to Death" article series.

Lessons from the Covid War: An Investigative Report.

Save to Library

Covid Crisis Group. New York: Public Affairs; 2023. ISBN‏: ‎9781541703803.

The transfer of failure experiences to generate learning and improve service is a complicated responsibility. This book examines breakdowns in the US response to the COVID-19 epidemic to understand causes of the problems, in order to better prepare health care, government, and public health systems for future pandemics. It also discusses what successes were achieved and how to capitalize on those improvements.

Improving Diagnostic Safety and Quality

Save to Library

Perspective on Safety April 26, 2023

Throughout 2022, AHRQ PSNet has shared research that elucidates the complex nature of misdiagnosis and diagnostic safety. This Year in Review explores recent work in diagnostic safety and ways that greater safety may be promoted using tools developed to improve diagnostic practices.

Deficiencies in Emergent and Outpatient Care of a Patient with Alcohol Use Disorder at the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Save to Library

Washington, DC: VA Office of the Inspector General; March 29, 2023. Report no. 21-03680-80.

Care systems for alcohol use disorder (AUD) patients are suboptimal. This report examines the case of a patient with AUD whose emergency care was mismanaged, uncoordinated, and incomplete, contributing to his death two days after discharge. The safety recommendations shared include improving discharge planning, assessment, and consideration of mental health conditions when caring for AUD patients.

Saving Moms.

Save to Library

Boswell B. KCET: April 2023.

Increasing attention is being placed on addressing inequities in maternal health care. This video shares stories of mothers experiencing harm during pregnancy and steps being taken to minimize the impact of implicit biases and lack of access to care to generate improvement.

Maternal and Infant Health Inequality: New Evidence from Linked Administrative Data.

Save to Library

Kennedy-Moulton K, Miller S, Persson P, et al. Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research; 2022. NBER Working Paper No. 30693.

Unequal maternal care access and safety are known problems in communities of color. This report examines the alignment of economic stability with maternal and infant care quality and found parental income secondary to race and ethnicity as a damaging influence on care outcomes.

How should clinicians minimize bias when responding to suspicions about child abuse?

Save to Library

Letson M, Crichton KG. AMA J Ethics. 2023;25:E93-99.

Missteps in the labeling and registration of child injury as abuse can result in harm for patients and families. This article discusses the impact of implicit bias on reporting actions and shares tactics to minimize the influence of cognitive error on recognizing and reporting of child mistreatment.

Advancing diagnostic equity through clinician engagement, community partnerships, and connected care.

Save to Library

Giardina TD, Woodard LCD, Singh H. J Gen Intern Med. 2023;38:1293-1295.

Variations in diagnostic process application reduce the safety of care. This commentary discusses how clinician engagement, community partnerships, and connected care (e.g., telehealth) should interface to improve diagnosis for patients impacted by disparities and implicit bias.

Investigating the impact of structural racism on Black birthing people - associations between racialized economic segregation, incarceration inequality, and severe maternal morbidity.

Save to Library

Jeffers NK, Berger BO, Marea CX, et al. Soc Sci Med. 2023;317:115622.

Structural racism contributes to high rates of severe maternal morbidity (SMM) experienced by Black patients. This study investigated specific measures of structural racism (incarceration inequality and racialized economic segregation) on Black SMM. In this sample of births from 2008-2011, racialized economic segregation was associated with SMM for black patients; however, incarceration inequality was not.

Curated Libraries

Diagnostic Errors Case Studies

January 19, 2023

The Primary-Care Research in Diagnosis Errors (PRIDE) Learning Network was a Boston-based national effort to improve diagnostic safety. Hosted by the State of Massachusetts’ Betsy Lehman Center, it was led by the Harvard Brigham and Women’s Center for Patient Safety Research and Practice with funding from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. ...

Strongyloides: A Hidden Traveler and Potentially Lethal Missed Diagnosis.

Save to Library

WebM&M Case December 14, 2022

This case describes a man in his 70s with a history of multiple myeloma and multiple healthcare encounters for diarrhea in the previous five years, which had always been attributed to viral or unknown causes, without any microbiologic or serologic testing. The patient was admitted to the hospital with gastrointestinal symptoms and diagnosed with cholecystitis and gangrenous gallbladder. Two months after his admission for cholecystitis, he was readmitted for severe vomiting and hypotension.

The Lancet Commission on lessons for the future from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Save to Library

Sachs JD, Karim SSA, Aknin L, et al. Lancet. 2022;400:1224-1280.

COVID-19 illuminated gaps in emergency preparedness and healthcare delivery in the face of a global pandemic. This report from the Lancet Commission identifies strategies for strengthening the multilateral system to address global emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The report describes a conceptual framework for understanding pandemics; reviews global, regional, and national responses to the COVID-19 pandemic; and provides recommendations for ending the COVID-19 pandemic and preparing for future pandemics.

Curated Libraries

Diagnostic Safety

October 10, 2022

Selected PSNet materials for a general safety audience focusing on improvements in the diagnostic process and the strategies that support them to prevent diagnostic errors from harming patients.

Inaccurate penicillin allergy labeling, the electronic health record, and adverse outcomes of care.

Save to Library

Olans RD, Olans RN, Marfatia R, et al. Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf. 2022;48:552-558.

Inadequate or incorrect documentation of patient allergies can lead to patient harm. This commentary discusses factors contributing to penicillin allergy documentation errors within electronic heath record systems (EHRs) and how EHR alerts can be used to improve safety around penicillin allergies.

The Uneven Burden of Maternal Mortality in the U.S.

Save to Library

NIHCM Foundation. Washington DC: National Institute for Health Care Management. August 2, 2022.

Preventable maternal morbidity is an ongoing challenge in the United States. This infographic shares general data and statistics that demonstrate the presence of racial disparities in maternal care that are linked to structural racism. The resource highlights several avenues for improvement such as diversification of the perinatal staffing and increased access to telehealth.

US emergency department visits for acute harms from over-the-counter cough and cold medications, 2017-2019.

Save to Library

Mital R, Lovegrove MC, Moro RN, et al. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf. 2022;31:225-234.

Accidental ingestion of over-the-counter (OTC) cold and cough medicines (CCMs) among children can result in adverse events. This study used national surveillance data to characterize emergency department (ED) visits for harms related to OTC CCM use and discusses differences by patient demographics, intent of use, and concurrent substance use.

Understanding and responding to health literacy as a social determinant of health.

Save to Library

Nutbeam D, Lloyd JE. Annu Rev Public Health. 2021;42:159-173.

Health literacy is a social determinant of health and can affect the ways people understand and interact with the health system. This review describes categories of health literacy, how it functions as a social determinant of health, and interventions to improve health literacy at system, community, and individual levels.

A crisis within a crisis.

Save to Library

Ellis NT, Broaddus A. CNN. August 25, 2021.

Maternal safety is an ongoing challenge worldwide. This news feature examines how the COVID pandemic has revealed disparities and implicit biases that impact the maternal care of black women. The stories shared highlight experiences of mothers with preventable pregnancy-related complications.

How medical jargon can make COVID health disparities even worse.

Save to Library

Kritz F. Health Shots. National Public Radio; May 24, 2021.

Health literacy efforts address challenges related to both language and effective communication tactics. This story discussed how lack of language and information clarity reduced patient education effectiveness during the pandemic and highlights several efforts to address them including information product translation services.

The PSNet Collection: All Content

Search All Content

Connect With Us

Sign up for Email Updates

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

The PSNet Collection: All Content

Search All Content

Connect With Us

Sign up for Email Updates

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

PSNet Log in

Submit Your Innovations

Continue as a Guest

Continue Logged In

Submit Your Innovations

Continue as a Guest

Continue logged in

New Users to the PSNet site