Written for virtually every professional and leader in the health care field, as well as students who are preparing for careers in health services delivery, this book presents a framework for developing a patient safety program, shows how best to examine events that do occur, and reveals how to ensure that appropriate corrective and preventative actions are reviewed for effectiveness. The book covers a comprehensive selection of topics including

• The link between patient safety and legal and regulatory compliance
• The role of accreditation and standard-setting organizations in patient safety
• Failure modes and effect analysis
• Voluntary and regulatory oversight of medical error
• Evidence-based outcomes and standards of care
• Creation and preservation of reports, data, and device evidence in medical error situations
• Claims management when dealing with patient safety events
• Full disclosure
• Patient safety in human research
• Managing confidentiality in the face of litigation
• Managing patient safety compliance through accountability-based credentialing for health care professionals
• Planning for the future