A consensus report detailing thirty safety practices that should be used in hospitals and other health care settings has recently been released by a coalition of leading health care and consumer groups, including the American Medical Association, the American Association for Retired People and Ford Motor Company. Information concerning the report was presented during a meeting of the National Quality Forum, a non-profit public-private partnership, and is intended for physicians and consumers.
The report, “Safe Practices for Better Healthcare: A Consensus Report,” reviews several safety practices. Some topics include: informing patients who need certain high-risk, elective surgeries, that they will fare better at facilities that have demonstrated superior outcomes; hiring critical care medicine specialists to manage intensive care unit patients; and creating a culture of safety in all health care settings.
For more information about the report visit the Web site of the National Patient Safety Foundation at, www.npsf.org or the AMA Web site at www.ama-assn.org .