Series Overview:

In 2000 the Institute of Medicine's landmark report, To Err is Human, estimated that one of every 20 Americans who check into a hospital will be the victim of a medical error and that up to 98,000 patients will die from all types of medical errors in a single year. Since that time, professional organizations for healthcare workers and facilities, including the Joint Commission, have worked diligently to develop strategies to reduce these numbers and make patient safety a primary healthcare concern.

This three-part series is designed to provide healthcare workers with background information on the extent of the problem of medical errors and describe specific strategies and practices aimed at reducing medical errors.

The three programs in this series are:

• Medical Errors, Part 1: New Approaches to an Old Problem
• Medical Errors, Part 2: Prevention practices
• Medical Errors, Part 3: Preventing Medication Errors
  
  

Overview:

Medical Errors, Part 2: Prevention Practices discusses a number of important changes in healthcare practice that are occurring in an effort to reduce medical errors. The program discusses the role and goals of the patient safety team, including the development of standardized safety procedures and the implementation of the National Patient Safety Goals. The program also provides an overview of the Universal Protocol for Preventing Wrong Site, Wrong Procedure and Wrong Person Surgery and the procedures for disclosing medical errors to patients.

Objectives:

After completing this course, the learner should be able to:

• Describe the overall goals of prevention practices and why implementing them is so important .
• Explain the purpose and responsibilities of the patient safety team.
• Describe the importance of standardized safety practices.
• Identify the National Patient Safety Goals.
• Describe the Universal Protocol for Preventing Wrong Site, Wrong Procedure and Wrong Person Surgery.
• Describe the process for proper disclosure of medical errors to patients.