MedStar to develop guide for improving patient safety

07-01-2016

A team of researchers from non-profit health system MedStar Health have been awarded a 38-month contract from the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to design, develop, pilot, and disseminate a guide for improving patient safety in primary care settings.

The guide will focus on by engaging patients and families in their care.

Research suggests that while there have been significant advancements in hospital-based patient and family involvement in patient safety, the role of patient and family engagement in primary care-based settings lags behind.

The team, assembled by MedStar ACTION III project leads, will build a robust, scalable guide for patients and families for the primary care setting.

MedStar's investigators Dr Kelly Smith and Christine Goeschel, and patient and family investigator Martin Hatlie, have collaborated extensively for more than a decade on initiatives that engage patients and families in improving healthcare safety.

The project incorporates the strengths of a diverse research team and leverages network partners, including CVS Health, Prince George's County Health Department, the Clinical Directors Network (CDN) practice-based research network, Georgetown University, Consumers Advancing Patient Safety and dissemination partners Iowa Healthcare Collaborative and Telligen.

"MedStar Health is dedicated to bringing the community voice into our quality and safety initiatives through the efforts of Christine Goeschel, Kelly Smith and Martin Hatlie. We look forward to collaborating with the ACTION III Network to extend this critical work even further into the growing ambulatory care setting," said Dr David Mayer, vice president of quality and safety, MedStar Health.

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, AHRQ, MedStar Health, Patient Safety, US