Although progress was slow to start, numerous public policies and private actions have contributed to recent improvements in patient safety, according to a Commonwealth Fund blog.
Issues such as misaligned incentives, poor information and communication tools and slow-to-change professional training regimes are just a few of the reasons improving patient safety was so challenging in the past; but progress is finally being made, according to the blog post.
HHS released a report on healthcare-associated infection rates and cost savings that indicated a 17 percent drop in HAIs from 2010 to 2013, or 1.3 million fewer infections.
Highlighted below are six public and private contributors to the improvements, as outlined by the Commonwealth Fund blog.
- Roughly 80 percent of U.S. hospitals are participating in The Partnership for Patients — a program under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care act that focuses on reducing HAIs and readmissions.
- The shift from a fee-for-service to a value-based payments model of care ties financial incentives to higher quality care.
- Research has found programs that use checklists and bundled clinical interventions reduce complications of care.
- Private payers and employers have increased their support for value-based payment systems.
- Patient safety has been emphasized in importance by privately managed hospital accreditation programs.
- Consumer groups, healthcare leaders, medical journals and other voluntary groups have advocated for healthcare providers to improve patient safety records.