When it comes to improving patient safety in the United States, the healthcare industry is making progress — but not nearly enough.
Marcus Schabacker, M.D., Ph.D.
President and CEO, ECRI
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, certain safety measures have improved in some healthcare settings, such as infection rates and medication errors. However, these gains are inconsistent, and safety can vary widely depending on where patients receive medical care. It is estimated that 1 in 4 inpatient admissions involve an adverse event. As many as 250,000 deaths a year in the United States are linked to medical errors and preventable harm.
Every clinician swears an oath to “do no harm,” and yet despite their best intentions and the valiant efforts of countless national organizations and regulators, it happens at healthcare facilities every day. At ECRI, we analyze safety data, pour over research, and tap into our national networks of thousands of hospitals, health systems, and clinics to identify what’s causing the most patient harm, and what evidence-based and innovative strategies are unlocking solutions.
Healthcare challenges leading to patient harm:
- Resource constraints, funding cuts, and staffing shortages
- Poorly designed, fragmented healthcare delivery systems
- Limited access to care, especially in rural communities
- Blame-driven workforce cultures that suppress safety reporting
- Technology failures and misuse of tools like AI
- Disparities in care disproportionately impacting vulnerable communities
- Rising rates of preventable acute illness and disease
These challenges are pervasive and that’s just the tip of the iceberg, but many healthcare organizations are making sustainable gains by implementing evidence-based strategies that protect patients.
Proven solutions that advance patient safety:
- Design systems and workflows that protect against inevitable human error
- Apply human factors engineering to create resilient work systems
- Leverage predictive data analytics to flag risks and intervene before harm occurs
- Foster a Just Culture that encourages safety reporting and empowers staff
- Commit to safety and radical transparency from the boardroom to the frontlines
- Engage patients and their families as partners in care
- Understand and proactively address health disparities to provide equitable care
In my 35-year career as an anesthesiologist and intensive care specialist turned industry executive and CEO of a patient safety nonprofit, I’ve never been more hopeful about our nation’s ability to spur transformative change in healthcare safety. The tides are turning. More healthcare leaders are seeing the clear link between safe systems and operational efficiency. More industry leaders are shifting from reactive to proactive approaches.
The obstacles we face are real, but so is the ingenuity of the clinicians and care leaders working day and night to heal the sick and wounded. We can and must do better — for patients, for their loved ones, and for our resilient healthcare workforce.
ECRI is a global nonprofit organization improving the safety and quality of healthcare. ECRI operates one of the largest Patient Safety Organizations (PSOs) in the U.S. with a multidisciplinary team of safety experts and a dataset of more than 8 million patient safety events.
