Purpose of the Summit

To review the status of current patient safety research in light of the research agenda generated from the first Patient Safety Summit in September 2000.
To update and refine the agenda, to include an action agenda to translate new knowledge into sustainable patient safety improvements and a research agenda to address emerging needs for development of new knowledge, practices, and technology.

Topic Areas

Epidemiology of Patient Safety Risks and Hazards: Identification of medical errors and causes of patient injury in health care delivery, with a focus on populations that are vulnerable because they are compromised in their ability to function as an engaged patient during health care delivery.

Effective Practices and Tools: Development and field testing of patient safety practices to identify practices that are effective, appropriate, and feasible for health care organizations to implement, taking into account the level of evidence needed to assess patient safety practices.

Infrastructure for Effective Practices: Establishment of the health care structural and environmental elements needed for successful implementation of effective patient safety practices, including an organization's commitment and readiness to improve patient safety (e.g., culture, information systems), hazards to safety created by the organization's structure itself (e.g., physical configurations, procedural requirements), and effects of the macro-environment on the organization's ability to act (e.g., legal and payment issues).

Broader Adoption of Effective Practices: The adoption, implementation, and institutionalization of improved patient safety practices to achieve sustainable improvement in patient safety performance across the health care system.

Monitoring Progress and Maintaining Vigilance: Establishment and monitoring of indicators to assess performance improvement progress for key patient safety processes or outcomes, while maintaining continued vigilance to ensure timely detection and response to issues that represent patient safety risks and hazards.