State Society Finds Patient Safety Is Improving
Efforts to improve patient safety in Pennsylvania have paid off, the 2007 edition of the Pennsylvania Medical Society’s “State of Medicine in Pennsylvania” report found.
“We have seen increased reporting of errors and incidents—and overall greater patient safety vigilance. This has contributed to an improved culture of safety in Pennsylvania,” said James A. Goodyear, MD, FACS, vice president of the Pennsylvania Medical Society.
Hospitals and other medical facilities are required to report serious events and incidents to the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority. Serious events are when a patient is harmed and incidents are when a patient is nearly harmed.
According to the authority, the number of serious events in the state dropped by 100 cases per month between 2005 and 2006. The number of incidents went up slightly, but the authority believes this increase is due to increased reporting.
The Pennsylvania Medical Society is engaged in numerous safety and quality initiatives, including:
- Providing patient safety resources, including online CME in collaboration with the authority
- Researching and promoting health system infrastructure changes to support electronic medical records
- Supporting legislation and projects to reduce hospital acquired infections
- Educating physicians and others about mediation training
- Educating physicians about self-reporting requirements
“Pennsylvania may even lead the nation in patient safety initiatives,” Dr. Goodyear said.
In addition to the authority and the Pennsylvania Medical Society, Pennsylvania’s patient safety efforts include initiatives by a wide range of agencies and organizations, including:
Last Updated: 8/6/2008