Research |
Findings |
| The Harvard Medical Practice Study | Demonstrated the degree and scope of healthcare safety problems |
| The Adverse Drug Event (ADE) Prevention Study | Showed the magnitude of injuries caused by drugs in hospitals and how they might be prevented |
| Intervention Phase of the ADE Prevention Study | Found that Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) reduced serious medication errors by 55% and the overall medication error rate by over 80% |
| "Smart Pumps" Evaluation | Assessed IV infusion delivery systems that warn if a medication dosage is incorrect before the drug is given |
| Drug Dosing for Patients with Abnormal Kidney Function | Found that making dosage suggestions increases the chance that patients would get the right dose by a factor of two and shorten hospital stays by one half day |
| Drug Dosing for Geriatric Patients | Demonstrated that when CPOE provides guidance on proper medication dosages there is improved dosing and a decreased rate of falls and subsequent injuries |
| The Improving Medication Prescribing Study | Studied four primary care practices to determine the rate of ADEs in the ambulatory setting |
| Prolonged Intern Shifts | Demonstrated and confirmed that prolonged shifts for interns in the intensive care unit are associated with substantially higher error rates which led to restructuring the on call schedule to improve sleep and safety |
| Landmark Research
The Center for Patient Safety Research and Practice is committed to improving patient safety across the continuum of care. The Center identifies areas of concern in day-to-day care that guides future research initiatives.
Several of the Center's Core Investigators have published landmark results establishing a better understanding of the issues that compromise patient safety and the many interventions that can help improve it.
