Patient safety projects funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) range from system-wide event reporting methods to specific measures to minimize medical errors. The information here summarizes AHRQ patient safety tools and resources designed for health systems, providers, and consumers.
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Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture. The Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture examines patient safety culture from a hospital staff perspective. It allows hospitals and staff to assess the safety culture of their hospitals, the safety culture of units within their hospitals, and track changes in their patient safety culture over time. Go to: http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/hospculture/
AHRQ Web M&M (Morbidity and Mortality Rounds on the Web). AHRQ WebM&M is a free, peer-reviewed online journal and forum on patient safety and health care quality. It features expert analysis of medical errors reported anonymously by readers, interactive learning modules on patient safety ("Spotlight Cases"), Perspectives on Safety, and forums for online discussion. CME and CEU credits are available. Go to: http://www.WebMM.ahrq.gov
Advances in Patient Safety: From Research to Implementation. This 140-article, 4-volume set describes what federally funded programs have accomplished in understanding medical errors and implementing programs to improve patient safety over the last 5 years. Included are articles with a research and methodological focus, articles that address implementation issues, and tools to improve patient safety. Go to: http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/advances/
Patient Safety Research Highlights. This Program Brief describes more than 100 AHRQ-supported studies in patient safety that have produced new findings, tools, and products that can be used by the health care system, health care providers, and researchers to improve patient safety. Go to: http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/psresearch.htm
Patient Safety E-Newsletter. The monthly Patient Safety E-Newsletter provides timely patient safety news and information. Featuring concise descriptions of recent findings from AHRQ-supported research, information about new initiatives, upcoming meetings, and other patient safety activities. The Patient Safety e-newsletter is archived online at: http://www.ahrq.gov/news/ptsnews.htm
PSNet Collection. The AHRQ PSNet Collection is an extensive selection of resources for the patient safety community. Items included in the PSNet Collection:
Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (Team STEPPS). Team STEPPS is a set of tools to help train clinicians in teamwork and communication skills to reduce risks to patient safety. The tools, which will be available in Summer 2006, include:
AHRQ flyers and booklets help health care consumers learn how to work in partnership with their doctors, pharmacists, and surgeons.
Check Your Medicines: Tips for Taking Medicines Safely. This checklist notes questions to ask your doctor to help you take the right medicine in the right way at the right time. Go to: http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/checkmeds.htm
Five Steps to Safer Health Care. This fact sheet explains what you should ask your doctor about medicines, tests, procedures, surgery, and hospitals. Go to: http://www.ahrq.gov/consumer/5steps.htm
These and more AHRQ resources are available online at http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/.
Print materials are available by calling AHRQ's Publications Clearinghouse at (800)358-9295, or by sending an E-mail request with title and publication number to ahrqpubs@ahrq.hhs.gov
AHRQ Publication No. 06-M036
Current as of April 2006
Internet Citation:
AHRQ Patient Safety Tools and Resources. AHRQ Publication No. 06-M036. April 2006. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/pstools.htm
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