Implementing patient safety and quality improvement in dermatology. Part 1: Patient safety science

• Published in: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 2023-10, Vol.89 (4), p.641-654
• Main Authors: Marsch, Amanda, Khodosh, Rita, Porter, Martina, Raad, Jason, Samimi, Sara, Schultz, Brittney, Strowd, Lindsay Chaney, Vera, Laura, Wong, Emily, Smith, Gideon P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: failure mode and effects analysis; improvement activities; merit-based incentive program; near misses; outcome and process assessment; patient safety; practice management; program evaluation; quality assurance; quality improvement; quality indicators; quality measures; root cause analysis; safety culture
• ISSN: 0190-9622; 1097-6787
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jaad.2022.01.049

Patient safety (PS) and quality improvement (QI) have gained momentum over the last decade and are becoming more integrated into medical training, physician reimbursement, maintenance of certification, and practice improvement initiatives. While PS and QI are often lumped together, they differ in that PS is focused on preventing adverse events while QI is focused on continuous improvements to improve outcomes. The pillars of health care as defined by the 1999 Institute of Medicine report “To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System” are safety, timeliness, effectiveness, efficiency, equity, and patient-centered care. Implementing a safety culture is dependent on all levels of the health care system. Part 1 of this CME will provide dermatologists with an overview of how PS fits into our current health care system and will include a focus on basic QI/PS terminology, principles, and processes. This article also outlines systems for the reporting of medical errors and sentinel events and the steps involved in a root cause analysis.