Mistake-Proofing the Design of Health Care Processes

Acknowledgments

I thank Hal Kaplan, M.D., of Columbia University Medical Center, and Jim Battles, Ph.D., of AHRQ's Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety, for their support, expert advice, and encouragement during the development of this text. Sonny Rigas and Brad Roberts, who were M.B.A. students at Berry College while this document was in development, researched and contributed many examples of mistake-proofing devices, as did many other individuals and organizations. Special thanks go to Douglas M. Stewart, who wrote the first draft of the lost skills section in Chapter 4, and to those contributors who participated in the Patient Safety Improvement Corps and the participants in workshops sponsored by Health Insights, Inc., the National Patient Safety Agency in the United Kingdom, the Georgia Hospital Association, and hospitals in the State of Georgia. Thanks also to Steve Newlon, Becky Smith, Deborah Branton, Mike Silver, and Lynda Eden, as well as the many individuals and organizations who gave permission for their photographs to appear in this book.

I want to recognize the significant contributions of AHRQ staff from the Office of Communications and Knowledge Transfer, Division of Print and Electronic Publishing. They include Randie Siegel, Barry Nix, and Mary Grady, who provided editorial support; Frances Eisel, graphic designer for the project; and David Lewin, Eve Shapiro, and Salina Prasad who also provided support for this endeavor.

Lastly, I thank my family for their unfailing patience and support throughout this project.

John Grout

About Dr. Grout

John Grout, Ph.D., is the David C. Garrett, Jr., Associate Professor of Business Administration in the Campbell School of Business, Berry College, Rome, GA, where he joined the faculty in 1997. Dr. Grout has also taught at Pennsylvania State University and Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. Dr. Grout earned his doctorate from Pennsylvania State University and a bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University. He has researched mistake-proofing extensively for the past 12 years. To learn more about Dr. Grout and his extensive body of knowledge about mistake-proofing, visit his Web site at http://www.mistakeproofing.com.

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