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The Patient Safety Movement Foundation (PSMF) has recommended healthcare organizations use the Communication and Optimal Resolution (CANDOR) toolkit to improve patient safety outcomes and patient satisfaction.
The CANDOR toolkit, published by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), can help organizations create a culture of safety that focuses on organizational accountability; caring for the patient, family, and caregiver; in-depth event investigation and analysis; fair resolution when harm occurs; and learning from every harm event.
MedStar was the first organization selected by AHRQ to develop and pilot the toolkit for the CANDOR program, which according to PSMF, is due to its system-wide commitment to achieving zero preventable harm.
In addition to MedStar, the CANDOR process was implemented and tested at Christiana Care in Delaware and Dignity Health in California.
According to PSMF, hospitals that have implemented CANDOR have seen improved patient safety outcomes, improved patient satisfaction scores due to the engagement patients and families throughout the CANDOR process and have experienced a reduction in medical liability claims.
Hospitals involved in the 2010 AHRQ demonstration grants reported a 40 percent reduction in preventable medical harm events, a 40 percent decline in the number of malpractice claims, and an 80 percent decrease in self-insured fund set-aside, $40 million to $8 million.
“The Patient Safety Movement Foundation recognized the significance of this work from day one and we appreciate their continued support in helping us educate the healthcare community on the benefits of CANDOR,” said David Mayer, vice president for quality and safety at MedStar.
“Dealing with unintentional patient harm transparently and forthrightly is not only the right thing to do but is also critical to our ability to learn and make improvements to our care systems and processes.
“Since MedStar Health began using CANDOR principles as a key component of its safety program, the health system has seen its rate of serious safety events cut in half. Even with this significant progress, MedStar Health will not be satisfied until we have achieved zero preventable harm.”
Joe Kiani, founder of PSMF, commented: “We are extremely grateful and proud of the work Dr. Mayer and MedStar Health are doing in collaboration with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
“The unfortunate truth is that at many health institutions, a ‘wall of silence’ goes up whenever a patient is harmed during care. By promoting a culture of open communication, empathy and transparency, CANDOR processes will not only help patients and their families get through an agonizing tragedy, but ultimately lead to fewer preventable deaths by revealing and reporting how these deaths occur. CANDOR is a vital step toward our goal of zero preventable deaths by 2020.”
Patient Safety Movement Foundation, PSMF, CANDOR Toolkit, AHRQ, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, MedStar, US
