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Publication Type: Patient Safety Advisory
Single or Multiple Incident: Multiple
Date: 12/1/2016 12:00:00 AM
This alert examines data to determine the impact on improved health and patient safety as well as cost savings of patient safety initiatives. The Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority estimated the value of data aggregation, analysis, dissemination, and statewide collaborative learning to reduce healthcare-associated patient harm in the state. Improvements in patient safety have occurred with concentrated efforts directed at discrete issues. A select set of patient safety measures was chosen to demonstrate the results of the combined efforts of Pennsylvania healthcare facilities, statewide quality improvement entities, and the Authority. The following patient safety measures were chosen to evaluate improvements in patient safety in Pennsylvania: falls with harm, central line–associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI), catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), wrong-site surgery, and high harm events. Using data submitted to the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Reporting System and the National Healthcare Safety Network, the Authority computed event trends and used evidence-based mortality and economic estimates to calculate theoretical lives and dollars saved over reporting periods of 11 to 12 years. The Authority estimates that through 2015 more than 2,600 lives and more than $147 million dollars were saved. The alert provides specific data on events avoided and cost avoidance for each patient safety measure analyzed.

Additional Details

Device:
urinary catheter, probes, ostoscopes, implants, automatic implantable cardioverter, defibrillator, pacemaker, gastrostomy feeding tube, central line
Medication/Gas/Fluid:
anesthetic


The Value of Improving Patient Safety in Pennsylvania