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Surveys are recognized tools to inform hospitals of the current status of their safety culture. This notice calls for public comment on the intention of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to launch the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture Comparative Database data collection process. The deadline for submitting comments on this notification is August 2, 2022.

This annual Patient Safety Reporting Program (PSRP) publication provides data and analysis of adverse events voluntarily reported to the Oregon Patient Safety Commission. The review of 2021 data discusses the impact of the state adverse event reporting program and upcoming initiative to examine how organizational safety effort prioritization affects care in Oregon.

Disruptive clinician behavior is a recognized patient safety concern. This study used reports submitted to the internal patient safety reporting system to explore potential implicit bias in the types and severity of reports filed against physicians. Results showed women and minoritized physicians were disproportionately reported for low-severity issues such as communication, while men and white physicians were more likely to be reported for the highest severity level. Findings suggest a lower threshold for submitting reports against women and minoritized physicians which may be due to implicit bias.

In its 2010 report, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) found 13.5% of hospitalized Medicare patients experience harm in October 2008. This OIG report has updated the proportion of hospitalized Medicare patients who experienced harm and the resulting costs in October of 2018. Researchers found 12% of patients experienced adverse events, and an additional 13% experienced temporary harm. Reviewers determined 43% of harm events could have been prevented and resulted in significant costs to Medicare and patients.

This quarterly commentary explores a wide range of subjects associated with patient safety, such as the impact of disruptive behavior on teams, the value of apologies, and safety challenges due to COVID-19. Older materials are available online for free.

Communication and resolution programs are a promising strategy for successful management of relationships and actions after medical error occurrence. This session explored elements of effective discussions after an adverse event through case simulation and dialogue.

Drawing from data reported by the Leapfrog Hospital Survey, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), this website provides grades for hospitals in the United States based on their safety. The Spring 2022 hospital safety grade results are available. A 2019 report from the Armstrong Institute examines avoidable death associated with grading hospitals. 

Unsafe care affects a wide range of individuals and organizations physically, emotionally, and financially. This report examines large system failures in the UK National Health Service to suggest actions that support learning and improvement. The publication highlights how public investigations, government reports, legal actions, and patient complaints can provide information to support the systems approach required to arrive at safe care.

This report summarizes patient safety improvement work in the state of Pennsylvania and reviews the 2021 activities of the Patient Safety Authority, including the Agency's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, video programs, liaison efforts, publication programs, and the launch of a new learning management system.