Presents the results of a two-year study that analyzes how patient safety practices are being adopted by U.S. health care providers, examines hospital experiences with a patient safety culture survey, and assesses patient safety outcomes trends. In case studies of four U.S. communities, researchers collected information on the dynamics of local patient safety activities and on adoption of safe practices by hospitals.

This book updates the policy context of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) patient safety initiative; documents the current priorities and activities undertaken; and assesses contributions of funded projects and dissemination actions to support adoption of evidence-based safe practices.It discusses implications for future AHRQ policy, programming, and research; suggests ways to strengthen AHRQ activities.It evaluates progress of the patient safety initiative led by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), focusing on how the current experiences of AHRQ and its funded projects can be used to strengthen subsequent program activities.

In September 2002, RAND contracted with the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to serve as the evaluation center for its national patient safety initiative. This report assesses the context and goals that were the foundation for the initiative, documents the baseline status of the activities being undertaken, and identifies priorities the researchers believe will have the strongest positive impact on the future of AHRQ's patient safety initiative.