The PSNet Collection

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.

Inside the preventable deaths that happened within a prominent transplant center.

Save to Library

Blau M. ProPublica. June 14, 2023.

Medical errors during organ transplants can have catastrophic consequences. This report describes the errors that contributed to failed transplants and patient deaths at one liver transplant center and the organizational-level factors that allowed these errors to continue for several years.

Medical errors kill thousands of people each year. But are hospitals getting any safer?

Save to Library

Weintraub K. USA Today. May 3, 2023.

The semi-annual Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades are recognized across the industry as a tool for highlighting successes and tracking gaps in safety to focus improvement efforts. This article shares one organization’s work to improve core safety activities related to medication safety, falls, infections, and hand hygiene.

Crisis in the Lakeshore Hospital ER.

Save to Library

Derfel A. Montreal Gazette. February 24- March 1, 2023

Emergency room failures are often rooted in system weaknesses. This series examines six patient deaths associated with emergency care that, while concerns were raised by nursing staff, have not been explored to initiate improvements at the facility. Factors contributing to the deaths discussed include nurse shortages, inconsistent oversight, and poor training.

Position Statement on Criminalization of Medical Error and Call for Action to Prevent Patient Harm from Error.

Save to Library

Cooper J, Thomas BJ, Rebello E, et al for the APSF Criminalization of Error Task Force. APSF Newsletter. October 2022; 37(3):80-81

Criminalizing human error can deter the transparency necessary to learn from incidents and improve health care. This position statement articulates the importance of avoiding the criminal prosecution to mistakes to instead focus on system failures to prevent conditions that permit errors to harm patients.

When medical error becomes personal, activism becomes painful.

Save to Library

Millenson M. Forbes. September 16, 2022.

Unnecessary medication infusions indicate weaknesses in medication service processes. While no harm was noted in the case discussed, the actions by the patient’s family to initiate an examination of the incident were rebuffed, patient disrespect was demonstrated, a near miss incident report was absent, and data omissions took place. The piece discusses how these detractors from safety were all present at the hospital involved.

Charlie Bourg was on the lookout for veterans harmed by a new VA computer system. He didn’t expect to be one of them.

Save to Library

Donovan-Smith O. Spokesman-Review. September 11, 2022.

Electronic health record (EHR) system issues degrade the data sharing and communication needed to inform safe patient care. This newspaper feature discusses problems with the new Veterans Affairs EHR system from the patient and family perspective in the context of diagnostic and treatment delay.

‘You’re going to release him when he was hurting himself?’

Save to Library

Dahlberg B. Kaiser Health News. September 29, 2020.

This story discusses failures related emergency psychiatric assessment, including premature discharge, implicit bias, patient management discontinuity and inappropriate physical restraint that contributed to the death of a patient at risk for suicide.

How the pandemic defeated America.

Save to Library

Yong E. The Atlantic. September 2020

This article takes a holistic view of the multiple preventable failures of the U.S. in managing the COVID-19 pandemic, raising several patient safety issues from the metasystems perspective. The piece highlights systemic problems such as lack of transparency, investment in public health and learning from experience.

Broken, fragmented health-care system failed daughter who died by suicide.

Save to Library

Klowak M. CBC News. March 9, 2020.

System weaknesses are often at the root of never events. This news story discusses the suicide of a concussed woman whose care failed due to gaps in team communication, discharge and transition practices.

The glaring loophole in U.S. virus response: human error.

Save to Library

Ehley B. The glaring loophole in U.S. virus response: human error. Politico. March 2, 2020.

This news story illustrates the potential for failure - attributable to human error, inexperience or external stressors - in response to a large-scale emerging threat to public health.

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

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