Hospitals in pursuit of excellence

Health Information Technology Patient Safety Action and Surveillance Plan

This report from the Department of Health and Human Services describes a plan to bolster implementation of health information technology and reduce risks associated with its use. Building on recommendations of the Institute of Medicine report, Health IT and Patient Safety: Building Safer Systems for Better Care, the plan includes specific action items for HHS organizations and the private sector to augment health IT safety.

Responsibilities will be shared across a number of HHS organizations: the Office of the National Coordinator, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and CMS. Goals involve making it easier for clinicians to report health IT–related incidents and hazards, encouraging reporting to Patient Safety Organizations, supporting the use of standardized forms in hospital incident reporting systems, and training surveyors to identify safe and unsafe practices associated with health IT. The Joint Commission has also contracted with ONC to better detect and address potential health IT–related safety issues across health care settings.