Starting Points for the Psychiatrist

Patient Safety and Psychiatry, Recommendations to the Board of Trustees of the American Psychiatric Association, A Task Force Report, Approved by the Board of Trustees, November 2002 (PDF)

Patient Safety Forum: Examining the Evidence - Do we know if psychiatric inpatients are being harmed by errors? What level of confidence should we have in data on the absence or presence of unintended harm? Psychiatric Services, Volume 54, Number 12, pp 1599-1603, 2004.

AHRQ Morbidity and Mortality Rounds on the Web


Adverse Medication Events

What Do We Know About Medication Errors In Inpatient Psychiatry? Benjamin C. Grasso, Jeffrey M. Rothschild, Robert Genest, David W. Bates, Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Safety, August 2003, Volume 29, Number 8 (PDF)

Prescription Writing Errors and How to Avoid Them: Suggestions from the American College of Physicians, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices and the Joint Commission.

A Few Simple Steps Can Avert Medication Errors, Charles Cash, J.D., LL.M., Psychiatric News, February 6, 2004, Volume 38, Number 3, p 10.

Information for Patients and Families

20 Tips to Help Prevent Medical Errors, Patient Fact Sheet, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

20 Tips to Help Prevent Medical Errors with Children, Patient Fact Sheet, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Fact Sheets for Patients from the National Patient Safety Foundation

Speak Up Initiatives, Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations

Inpatient Issues

Sentinel Event Statistics - Joint Commission

Patient Safety Forum, Developing a Strategic Plan, Psychiatric Services, Volume 54, Number 12, pp 1599-1603, 2004

What is the measure of a safe hospital?  Medication errors missed by Management, Clinical Staff and Surveyors. - Grasso BC, Rothschild JM, Jordan CW, Jayaram G.;   Journal of Psychiatric Practice 2005; (11): 1-7. 

Office Based Issues

Office Based Patient Safety: We're All Responsible, Al Herzog, M.D., Psychiatric News, October 17, 2003, Volume 38, Number 20.

Here Are Ways You Can Put Safety First, Jacqueline M. Melonas, R.N. M.S., J.D., Psychiatric News, November 7, 2003, Volume 38, Number 21.

Organizations

American Academy of Pediatrics: Safer Health Care for Kids 

American Medical Association: Patient Safety and Quality Tools

Joint Commission

National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF)




Psychiatric Residency

Strive for Excellence, Not Perfection, Susan Padrino, M.D., Psychiatric News, December 20, 2002, Volume 37, Number 24, p. 24.

Patient-Safety Curriculum Urged for Residency Programs, Geetha Jayaram, M.D., Psychiatric News, April 2, 2004, Volume 39, Number 24, p. 29.


Seclusion and Restraint

Learning From Each Other: Success Stories and Ideas for Reducing Restraint/Seclusion in Behavioral Health, resource guide that provides practical help in creating a culture of safety, respect, and dignity. Released January 2003, American Psychiatric Association, American Psychiatric Nurses Association, and the National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems, with support from the American Hospital Section for Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Services.

Learning from Each Other - Appendix


Suicide Assessment and Interventions

American Psychiatric Association Practice Guideline on Assessment and Treatment of Patients with Suicidal Behaviors

Joint Commission 2007 Behavioral Health Care National Patient Safety Goals - Information on Behavioral Health Patient Safety Goals, including 15A, identifying clients at risk for suicide


Use of Computers to Improve Patient Safety 

Use of a Personal Digital Assistant in Reducing Medication Error Rates, Benjamin C. Grasso, Robert Genest, Psychiatric Services, Volume 52, Number 7, p 883 - 886, July 2001.

Reducing Errors in Discharge Medication Lists by Using Personal Digital Assistants, Benjamin C. Grasso, Robert Genest, Kathryn Yung, Charles Arnold, Psychiatric Services, October 2002, Volume 53, Number 10, p 1325-6.

Use of Personal Digital Assistants in Consultation Psychiatry, John Luo, Robert E. Hales, Mark Servis, Mona Gill, Psychiatric Services, March 2002, Volume 53, Number 3.

Please direct any inquiries to qips@psych.org