Helping Physicians Improve Patient Safety And Reduce Risks In Their Practices

Main Category: Medical Practice Management
Article Date: 19 Mar 2009 - 0:00 PDT

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ECRI Institute , an independent nonprofit that researches the best approaches to improving patient care, announces a membership program specifically developed to help physician practices address patient safety, quality, and risk management issues.

Physician Practice Risk Management provides essential information on the key issues impacting today's busy practice with guidance on a range of topics, from office administration to promoting patient-centered care. Physician Practice Risk Management also provides tools and resources on:

- Legal principles affecting the physician practice
- Systems and administrative factors that contribute to malpractice claims
- Physician quality initiatives
- Medication safety, infection control, and office emergencies
- Safe selection, use, and maintenance of office equipment and technology
- Electronic health records
- Environmental safety concerns
- Human resource issues
- Resources and standards pertinent to physician practices

ECRI Institute's Physician Practice Risk Management "…includes updates on many common and well covered risk management areas, it also moves into the important areas of safety and quality in the office setting. For too long, there has been little evidence based guidance for physicians on what constitutes quality care and safe processes in the office setting," says Nancy C. Elder, MD, MSPH, Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine, University of Cincinnati.

An e-newsletter included in the membership program gives hospitals, healthcare systems, and professional liability carriers an effective method for providing ongoing safety guidance to their physician practices.Physician Practice v E-News, delivered biweekly, includes links to articles and research findings plus up-to-date information to help physician practices assess and reduce risk.

In addition to the Physician Practice Risk Management Membership, ECRI Institute offers Web-based educational programs for physician practices. e-Learn™ continuing medical education courses include topics specific to physician practice risk management and patient safety. E-Learn courses can be added to Physician Practice Risk Management membership or purchased separately.

For more information about Physician Practice Risk Management and other services, visit http://www.ecri.org/PhysicianPractice, contact a client services representative by phone at (610) 825-6000, ext. 5891; by e-mail at clientservices@ecri.org; by mail at ECRI, 5200 Butler Pike, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462-1298, USA; or by fax at (610) 834-1275.

ECRI Institute, a nonprofit organization, dedicates itself to bringing the discipline of applied scientific research to healthcare to uncover the best approaches to improving patient care. As pioneers in this science for 40 years, ECRI Institute marries experience and independence with the objectivity of evidence-based research. ECRI Institute is designated a Collaborating Center of the World Health Organization and an Evidence-based Practice Center and a Patient Safety Organization by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. ECRI Institute is also responsible for performing the technical work of developing and maintaining AHRQ's National Guideline Clearinghouse™ and the National Quality Measures Clearinghouse™. ECRI Institute PSO is designated a federal Patient Safety Organization by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Source
ECRI Institute

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