Patient Safety Research Summaries
As the lead federal agency for advancing patient safety, AHRQ invests in research and implementation projects that bridge the gap between research and the delivery of safer patient care. AHRQ-Funded Patient Safety Project Highlights reflect the work of agency grantees and contractors. Organized by theme, the summaries provide brief descriptions of individual projects as well as research highlights.
AHRQ-Funded Patient Safety Project Highlights
- Improving Healthcare Safety by Engaging Patients and Families (PDF, 578 KB): Research has shown that involving patients, families, and caregivers in the planning, delivery, and evaluation of care can improve safety and quality. Since 2000, AHRQ has supported 53 patient safety projects related to increasing patient and family engagement.
- Improving Healthcare Safety by Enhancing Health Information Technology and Health Information Exchange (PDF, 963 KB). Research has shown that health information technology (HIT) and health information exchange (HIE) make it possible for healthcare providers to safely and securely access and share information about a patient’s health, such as patient history, vital signs, diagnoses, medications, and disease progression. Since 2000, AHRQ has supported 42 patient safety projects related to HIT and HIE.
- Improving Healthcare Safety by Enhancing Healthcare Facility Design (PDF, 794 KB): Research has shown that optimizing the physical, functional, and aesthetic details of healthcare facilities (e.g., units, rooms, equipment, logistics, and technologies) can improve patient outcomes, reduce injuries and hospital-associated infections (HAIs), and increase provider satisfaction. Since 2000, AHRQ has supported 19 patient safety projects related to improving healthcare facility design.
- Improving Healthcare Safety by Enhancing Teamwork and Leadership (PDF, 1 MB): Research shows that improved teamwork reduces the number of medical errors and improves patient safety. Since 2000, AHRQ has supported 55 patient safety projects to improve communication between healthcare providers and leadership skills among those in charge.
