“To Err is Human” — 10 Years Later

Ten years ago, a landmark study on patient safety, “To Err is Human,” was released by the Institute of Medicine. Patient safety has come a long way since then. Or has it?

Since 1999, we’ve seen innovations in health information technology that have the potential to greatly enhance patient safety. There is growing evidence about the role of human factors, and the impact of seamless team work, checklists and safety bundles on safety.

But has health IT or other safe-proofing processes been implemented widely enough to make a difference? Has regulation on the national and state levels helped or hindered progress on critical indicators?

To address these and related questions, the Alliance for Health Reform and The Commonwealth Fund are sponsoring a March 17 roundtable. Speakers include: Don Berwick, Institute for Healthcare Improvement; Janet Corrigan, National Quality Forum; Lucian Leape, Harvard School of Public Health; and Jim Conway, Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Other members of the original IOM committee that issued the original report will attend.

Speaker Presentations

Don Berwick Presentation (PowerPoint)
Janet Corrigan Presentation (PowerPoint)
Jim Conway Presentation (PowerPoint)
Lucian Leape Presentation (PowerPoint)