Baltimore Medical Malpractice Lawyers: Patient Safety Awareness Week
March 14, 2016When you consider the fact that one in ten patients develop a health care acquired condition while hospitalized, it is safe to say that patient safety is a public health issue. Approximately 44,000 to 98,000 hospital patients die each year due to medical error. While this issue is being addressed at the federal, state and local levels through programs like the Partnerships for Patients initiative, there is still a great deal of work to be done.
The United for Patient Safety campaign reminds us that everyone within the healthcare system has an important role to play in keeping patients safe. The campaign brings together a diverse group of organizations that share a commitment to patient safety. As part of the campaign, March 13-19, 2016 has been named Patient Safety Awareness Week, which will launch a yearlong effort to address issues surrounding patient safety. There will also be opportunities for special events and discussions with people dedicated to the cause.
In February of 2015, the National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) assembled a panel of experts to examine the state of the patient safety field. Thanks to a grant from AIG, NPSF compiled a report that paves the way for the next fifteen years of work, including recommended action steps by government, health professionals and others to make patient safety science and implementation a priority.
The eight specific recommendations include the following:
- Ensure that leaders in patient safety establish and maintain a positive safety culture
- Establish centralized and coordinated oversight of patient safety
- Create a common set of safety metrics that reflect meaningful outcomes
- Increase funding for research in patient safety and implementation science
- Address safety across all lines of care
- Support health care employees
- Partner with patients and their families for the safest care
- Ensure that technology is safe and the best option for improved patient safety
Maryland Medical Malpractice Lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton Advocate for Those Harmed by Poor Patient Safety Practices
If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of compromised safety practices at a health care facility, contact Maryland medical malpractice lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton. We are committed to helping those who have been harmed by medical negligence and will pursue the maximum financial compensation on your behalf. For a free evaluation of your case, call us today at 800-547-4LAW (4529) or contact us online.
Our offices are located in Baltimore, Columbia, Glen Burnie and Towson, allowing us to represent victims of medical malpractice throughout Maryland, including those in Anne Arundel County, Carroll County, Harford County, Howard County, Montgomery County, Maryland’s Western Counties, Southern Maryland and the Eastern Shore, as well as the communities of Catonsville, Essex, Halethorpe, Middle River, Rosedale, Gwynn Oak, Brooklandville, Dundalk, Pikesville, Parkville, Nottingham, Windsor Mill, Lutherville, Timonium, Sparrows Point, Ridgewood and Elkridge.
