Organizations and Tools
Health Finder – A government website that offers resources on a wide range of health topics selected from over 1,600 government and non-profit organizations.
Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) – An independent, not-for-profit organization helping to lead the improvement of health care throughout the world by building the will for change, cultivating promising concepts for improving patient care and helping health care systems put those ideas into action.
National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) – An independent organization founded to promote improving the safety of our health care system. Find out more about its Stand Up for Patient Safety Program, Lucian Leape Institute and the Ask Me 3 health literacy tool. The NPSF website also includes discussion forums and a resource center.
Office of the Surgeon General (OSG) – Part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and under the direction of the Surgeon General, serves as America’s doctor by providing Americans the best scientific information available on how to improve their health and reduce their risk of illness and injury. Read OSG’s reports and publications on public health issues, such as nutrition, violence, tobacco use and HIV/AIDS.
The Joint Commission (TJC) – An independent, not-for-profit organization that accredits and certifies health care organizations and programs nationwide. The quality check component helps find accredited health care facilities and services in your area. Read about the Joint Commission's award-winning patient safety program, including the National Patient Safety Goals, the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre and Speak Up™ initiatives.
U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) – A federal agency that supports research designed to improve the quality of health care, reduce its cost and broaden access to essential services. View the Consumers & Patients component to find information and resources about getting safer care. You also can find treatment recommendations based on the latest scientific evidence at AHRQ’s National Guideline Clearinghouse.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – A federal agency that focuses on developing and applying disease prevention and control, environmental health, occupational safety and health, health promotion, prevention and education activities. Learn about preventing health care-associated infections. Read more about CDC’s 10 Things You Can Do to Be a Safe Patient.
World Health Organization (WHO) – A specialized agency of the United Nations for health, which recognizes patient safety as a serious global public health issue. Learn more about WHO’s 10 Facts on Patient Safety and Patient Safety Initiatives.
Suggested Books on Patient Safety
The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right by Atul Gawande (December 2009) – Dr. Gawande makes a compelling argument for checklists and describes how well-designed checklists can improve outcomes.
Safe Patients, Smart Hospitals: How One Doctor’s Checklist Can Help Us Change Health Care from the Inside Out by Peter Pronovost and Eric Vohr (February 2010) – Dr. Pronovost has used a five-step checklist to standardize an ICU procedure, which has decreased the rate of infection, and as a result, unnecessary deaths.
How Doctors Think by Jerome Groopman (March 2007) – The author describes the doctor-patient relationship, including the influences on how doctors make decisions regarding their patients, and how they figure out the best treatments for their patients and even sometimes not the best treatments.
Josie’s Story: A Mother’s Inspiring Crusade to Make Medical Care Safe by Sorrel King (September 2009) – Patient safety activist, Sorrel King, describes how her daughter, eighteen-month-old Josie King, died from medical errors at a hospital. She explains how she turned the grief for her daughter's death into action and established the Josie King Foundation to help prevent medical errors.
HNFS Offers Patient Safety Education
Health Net Federal Services, LLC (HNFS) values the importance of sharing information with beneficiaries and providers to improve patient safety. HNFS’ Clinical Quality Management Department periodically publishes patient safety topics in both the TRICARE beneficiary and provider newsletters.
To view newsletters, visit our Beneficiary Newsletters page or Provider Newsletters page.
