AHRQ Issues New Report About Transforming Hospitals Into High Reliability Organizations, USA

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 25 Mar 2008 - 2:00 PDT

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HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has released a new report about incorporating high-reliability organization concepts into health care environments to improve safety and quality of care.

Becoming a High Reliability Organization: Operational Advice for Hospital Leaders is a guide for hospital executives, chief medical officers, patient safety officers and others interested in improving safety, quality and efficiency. The report captures the lessons learned from an AHRQ-supported learning network comprised of patient safety representatives of 19 health systems and explains how these organizations applied high-reliability organization principles in their settings.

The report includes case studies and information from site visits to hospitals in a variety of areas across the nation, including the Sentara Network in Virginia; Exempla Healthcare in Colorado; the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in Ohio; Fairview Health Services and Allina Hospitals & Clinics Network in Minnesota and western Wisconsin; and Christiana Care Hospital in Delaware.

Principles of high reliability were first applied in industries with significant potential for catastrophic errors, such as nuclear power, aircraft carriers, and commercial aviation. In recent years, lessons from these industries about how to become more reliable and avoid potentially catastrophic errors are gaining wider appreciation in health care settings.

For more information about the report and ways to incorporate high-reliability organization concepts in a health care setting, visit the AHRQ Web site: http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/hroadvice/

http://www.ahrq.gov