For many, each morning at the 17th Annual National Forum of the Institute for Health Improvement (IHI) in December began with a few tears. 

Ensuring consistency of care and patient safety can be especially challenging in obstetrics — a complex specialty with unpredictable patient loads and nursing shortages. 

In 2005, Illinois became the first state to adopt an innovative disclosure program known as Sorry Works! Incorporated into a larger medical liability reform bill (Ill. Gen. Ass. Pub. Act 094-0677, 2005). Sorry Works! is a pilot project that supports provider organizations that agree to implement and study the impact of full disclosure of medical errors.

The healthcare industry is facing a multitude of challenges. An aging population, clinical staff shortages, ongoing medical advancements, increased consumer demand for information, and a growing number of people living with chronic diseases are causing healthcare stakeholders to re-evaluate the way they view healthcare. 

In response to an overwhelming community need, Staten Island University Hospital in New York decided to develop a “breast center” approach to the provision of breast health services. Quality improvement is a core element of the hospital’s mission and is integrated into our planning process, so outcome measures were an integral part of this initiative.

This is the last in a series of three articles regarding the potential to improve patient safety through the use of effective information-technology (IT) solutions.

When consumers shop for a new car, the latest electronic gadget, and many other types of products or services, a wealth of comparative information awaits them on newsstands and online.

Today’s doctors and nurses are tethered to all manner of gadgets and devices — telephones, pagers, faxes, overhead pages, white boards, desktop computers, charts — in an attempt to facilitate the movement of information throughout the hospital enterprise.

Management gurus speak reverently of the cliché, “You can’t manage what you can’t measure.” Looking at the disappointing quality outcomes of a healthcare system that spends more per capital than any other country in the world, it is clear there is not a whole lot of measuring going on.

The heated debate surrounding the medical malpractice crisis has left many doctors, insurers, attorneys, and patient advocates looking for “middle ground” solutions.