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 Feature Article Good News about Patient Safety The National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) is an independent nonprofit research and educational organization dedicated to reduce medical error through leadership and innovative pro- grams. Established in 1996, the NPSF believes that a vigilant and sustained focus on patient safety sharply reduces ad- verse medical outcomes. The organization brings together key stakeholders to address barriers to patient safety, trans- late research into workable solutions and to develop practical tools to implement those solutions. Promoting Research The NPSF supports innovative health care research that leads to deeper understanding of human and system errors. As a vital link between the academic research community and front -line health care providers, the organization fosters a new knowledge base for safer health care practices while nurturing a budding community of scientists devoted to careers in patient safety. Each year the NPSF awards several grants, including the $100,000 James Todd Memorial Award. To date, 15 studies have been funded and eight completed for a grant total of approximately $1,200,000. This support by the NPSF has not only resulted in improvements in the safety of patients but also stimulated interest for significant additional funding and recognition. Research Solutions is an annual program that seeks proven and practical strategies that reduce medical errors and improve patient safety. These papers, research reports and publications are available through the organization's website (www.nusf.org) Tools to Improve The NPSF provides consumers and health care professionals with tools to improve patient safety. Many educational offerings are available through NPSF's Patient Safety Store found on the website. This is a centralized online repository of safety-related materials offering videos, books, brochures, publications, fact sheets, re- ports, newsletters and conference materials. Another educational initiative is the Training Institute for Public Safety (TIPS) which focuses on training physicians, nurses and other health care professionals. Courses are offered in several formats including live seminars and teleconference presentations. Topics include preventing infections, disclosing medical errors to patients and their families, improving health care literacy and reducing medical errors. Stand Up for Patient Safety is a corporate membership campaign that recognizes hospitals as "ground zero" when it comes to patient safety. The pro- gram focuses on creating a new culture of accountability, trust, system improvement and continuous learning in the inpatient arena. Patient Safety Awareness Week is held during the second week of March each year. This is a national educational and awareness-building campaign for improving patient safety at the local level. The Foundation offers a model for activities and materials for all areas of the health care sector to pro- mote patient safety. Other educational benefits pro- vided by the NPSF are a Speakers Bureau, which offers more than 50 patient safety experts for speaking engagements on important patient safety topics, and the Information Resource Center, which is the largest repository of patient safety information with a searchable bibliography. This library offers more than 5,000 articles, papers and books on patient safety and health care issues. Collaborating for Improvement The NPSF works to convene the myriad stakeholders in patient safety to create unified, unbiased, objective action plans for patient safety initiatives. The NPSF Board of Directors is composed of 50 physicians, nurses, regulators, patient advocates and health care industry leaders providing a multi-disciplinary approach to patient safety. The NPSF Patient Safety Congress is an annual event. The latest meeting was held in Washington, D.C. last March with the theme "Let's Get Results: Improving the Safety of Patients. More than 1,000 conventioneers attended - patients, family members, clinicians, scientists, educators, researchers, legislators, manufacturers and administrators. At this meeting, Health and Human Services secretary Tommy a. Thompson announced two new proposals from the Food and Drug Administration -one on bar coding of medications and the other on revamping the requirements for reporting medical errors. In addition to hearing notable speakers, the participants attended plenary sessions with leading faculty, breakout sessions focused on results-oriented in- formation and roundtable discussions for networking purposes. There are several other venues of collaboration. Executive Sessions based on the Harvard University Executive Session Model have been developed in con- junction with educators from notable universities and institutions. The Leadership Action Project is a yearlong intensive learning experience for senior leaders conducted in partnership with the American Hospital Association's Health Forum. Corporate Councils and Roundtables provide a forum for non-clinical industry leaders to work with health care providers and executives to improve patient safety. The Patient Family Advisory Council pro- vides the patient's voice to NPSF's Board on policy initiatives, strategic direction and program activities. Finally, the NPSF provides global constituencies an interactive online forum through a ListServ that offers patient safety information, strategies, suggestions and resources. This forum presently includes more than 2000 active subscribers and participants. Our Challenging Times We all know that the healthcare industry is experiencing challenging times. Many believe that future generations will look back on our day as a pivotal time for healthcare. The NPSF recognizes that education and communication will be the agents of change in improving the safety of patients. Through the research grants, educational programs and opportunities for interested parties to come together to share information, the NPSF is helping build a culture of patient safety that focuses on partnership between health care providers and consumers.
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