Patient Safety Handbook

In the current climate of managed care, tight cost controls, limited resources, and the growing demand for health care services, conditions for medical errors are ripe. Nearly 100,000 people die each year from medical errors and tens of thousands more are injured.

This comprehensive handbook on patient safety reflects the goals of many in the health care industry to advance the reliability of healthcare systems worldwide. With contributions from prominent thought leaders in the field, this thoroughly revised, Second Edition of The Patient Safety Handbook looks at all the recent changes in the industry and offers practical guidance on implementing systems and processes to improve outcomes and advance patient safety.

The book covers the full spectrum of patient safety and risk reduction’ from the fundamentals of the science of safety, through a thorough discussion of operational issues, and the application of the principles of research. Real-life case studies from renowned health care organizations and their leadership help the reader understand the practical application of the strategies presented.

Author Biography

Normal0falsefalsefalseMicrosoftInternetExplorer4/* Style Definitions */table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:“Table Normal”;mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-parent:”“;mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;mso-para-margin:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:“Times New Roman”;mso-ansi-language:#0400;mso-fareast-language:#0400;mso-bidi-language:#0400;}Barbara Youngberg, JD, BSN, MSW, FASHRM has over 25 years experience helping academic medical centers and other complex healthcare organizations restructure quality, risk management, and patient safety programs to meet current needs and challenges.’ During her 25 year career at University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) she analyzed malpractice data and trends, quality and patient safety data, and best practice information to assist members in finding creative solutions to difficult risk and patient safety problems. As the Vice President of Insurance, Risk, Quality and Legal Services and co-lead of UHC’s Patient Safety Net (PSN), Ms. Youngberg helped to develop a Web-based reporting tool utilizing standardized language to allow of analysis of events and their root causes and worked to help members integrate patient-safety activities into existing quality and risk-management structures.’ Often these efforts including helping members understand the way in which the legal climate could help or hinder them in their efforts.Ms. Youngberg is a graduate of DePaul University College of Law (JD), University of Illinois–Jane Addams School of Social Work (MSW) and Illinois Wesleyan University (BSN).’ She is presently a Visiting Professor of Law at Loyola University Chicago, Beazley Health Law Institute and helps to develop online curriculum for online health law MJ and LL.M degrees.’ She is also a professor of Law for Concord Kaplan University School of Law and serves on the Board of Directors of the National Patient Safety Foundation.’ She is the author of numerous articles and textbooks on quality management, risk management, and patient safety.’