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December 22, 2009 — An Important Milestone in Patient Safety

This month marks the tenth anniversary of the release of "To Err is Human" by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). The report, which documented that medical errors were a pervasive problem across the US, generated widespread media attention and launched the modern patient-safety movement.

In marking the anniversary, several leaders in the patient safety movement have published progress reports, summarizing progress to date and challenges that lie ahead. While significant progress has been made, there is consensus that we have fallen short of goals set a decade ago.

The Partnership's Chairman Jim Conway recently joined with other members of the Lucian Leape Institute of the National Patient Safety Foundation to summarize what it would take not to simply implement recommendations established by the IOM, but to transform the health care system to achieve meaningful improvement in safety. The transforming principles include:

• Transparency – free sharing of information including sharing information with patients, including information on when things go wrong.
• Integrated care - that is patient-centered.
• Consumer engagement – as summarized by "nothing about me without me."

While there has been progress, we have a long way to go. Since our launch in 2007, the Partnership has worked to increase consumer awareness of the simple steps, such as writing down questions for the doctor, that all of us can do to increase our level of engagement in our health care. In the course of our work, we have learned that we cannot do it alone. We are grateful for the support of our Leadership Council and our partners in helping us reach literally hundreds of thousands of consumers. We look forward to continuing our campaign in 2010. Happy Holidays from the Partnership.

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