AHRQ plan would solicit error reports in hospitals
Under the plan proposed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), patients and their relatives would report medical errors and near misses through a web site and in telephone interviews. Questionnaires would be made available at kiosks in hospitals, ambulatory care centers, and doctors’ offices.
The AHRQ also plans to distribute fliers describing the project at pharmacies and to include them with the explanation of benefits sent by insurance companies.
The questionnaire asks why the mistake happened and lists possible reasons:
- “A doctor, nurse or other health care provider did not communicate well with the patient or the patient’s family.”
- “A health care provider didn’t respect the patient’s race, language or culture.”
- “A health care provider didn’t seem to care about the patient.”
- “A health care provider was too busy.”
- “A health care provider didn’t spend enough time with the patient.”
- “Health care providers failed to work together.”
- “Health care providers were not aware of care received someplace else.”
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