Patient Safety Resources

Patient Safety Resources for Patients:

• AHRQ Consumer/Patient Information - Info on hospital safety, insurance and health plans, prescription medications, and surgery safety. (AHRQ)
• ISMP Alerts for Patients - Info on cancer treatments, taking medication safely, medication samples, and medication reviews. (ISMP)
• NCQA HealthChoices - Quality ratings on health plans. (NCQA)
• Be Involved in Your Health Care - A brochure of tips for patients to prevent medical errors. (Virginians Improving Patient Care and Safety)

Patient Safety Resources for Health Care Professionals:

• National Guideline Clearinghouse - Comprehensive database of evidence-based diagnosis and treatment guidelines and related documents sponsored by AHRQ. (National Guideline Clearinghouse)
• Sentinel Event Alerts - Guidelines for preventing severe medical errors. (JCAHO)
• CDC Major Healthcare Guidelines - Guidelines for safe patient treatment. (CDC-DHQP)
• AHRQ Clinical Information - Info on evidence-based practice guidelines, technology reviews, and prevention strategies. (AHRQ)
• Safety advisories - Tips to improve patient safety. (NCPS)

Patient Safety Resources for Policymakers:

• Quality and Patient Safety - Info on government's role in improving patient safety and free publications for state policymakers. (NASHP)
• Talking to Consumers about Health Care Quality - Tips and guidelines for how to present and convey quality information to the public. (AHRQ, CMS, OPM)
• Quality Update of Legislative Initiatives - Summary of current initiatives around U.S. (AHQA)

Links to other useful sites:

Iowa Links:

• Central Iowa Health System
• Coalition for Family and Children's Services in Iowa
• Des Moines University
• Drake University
• Iowa Academy of Family Physicians
• Iowa Association of Business and Industry
• Iowa Association of Nurse Practitioners
• Iowa Board of Medical Examiners (IBME)
• Iowa Board of Nursing
• Iowa Board of Pharmacy Examiners (IBPE)
• Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals
• Iowa Department of Public Health - Bureau of Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
• Iowa Federation of Labor (AFL-CIO)
• Iowa Foundation for Medical Care
• Iowa Health Care Association
• Iowa Health System
• Iowa Hospital Association (IHA)
• Iowa Medical Society
• Iowa Nurse Practitioners Society (INPS)
• Iowa Nurses Association
• Iowa Osteopathic Medical Association (IOMA)
• Iowa Pharmacy Association (IPA)
• Iowa Rural Health Association
• John Deere Health Care, Inc.
• Mercy Medical Center - Des Moines
• Pella Regional Health Center
• Principal Financial Group
• State Public Policy Group
• University of Iowa College of Medicine
• University of Iowa College of Nursing
• University of Iowa College of Public Health
• University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
• Wellmark, Inc.

National Links:

• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
• American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
• American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
• The American Health Quality Association (AHQA)
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• The Commonwealth Fund
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
• Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI)
• Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP)
• Institute of Medicine (IOM)
• Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)
• The Leapfrog Group
• National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP)
• National Center for Patient Safety (NCPS)
• The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)
• National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF)
• National Quality Forum (NQF)
• TalkingQuality.gov