Journey to no preventable risk: the Baylor Health Care System patient safety experience

Abstract

The patient safety vision at Baylor Health Care System (BHCS) has 3 components: (1) achieving no preventable deaths, (2) ensuring no preventable injuries, and (3) seeking no preventable risk. These goals require strategic efforts in the categories of culture, processes, and technology. Culture focuses on tactics such as teamwork training and quality improvement education. Processes are measured using the percentage adoption of a variety of target clinical processes such as order set use and adherence to National Patient Safety Goals. Technology includes focus areas such as clinical decision support and reliability of the electronic health record. BHCS has also achieved significant systemwide standardization of safety processes and development of the systemwide Office of Patient Safety to facilitate the implementation of evidence-based patient safety practices. Associated with these improvements, BHCS has made significant progress toward reducing hospital-standardized mortality rates and rates of hospital-acquired adverse events.