Using medical-error reporting to drive patient safety efforts.

IMPROVING PATIENT SAFETY has become one of the driving forces in health care delivery. Honest, accurate disclosure of medical errors and close calls is crucial to gain a better grasp of problems, make effective changes, and evaluate progress. ALTHOUGH FEAR OF MALPRACTICE litigation remains a major deterrent to medical-error reporting, disclosure allows organizations to benefit from one another's experiences. Accountability necessitates mandatory reporting to external organizations, but a wide variety of reporting systems exist, each with its own advantages and shortcomings. National standardized reporting is a major objective for the patient safety movement. STAFF MEMBER INVESTMENT is a key factor in the safety process and needs to extend beyond the reporting procedure.