Americans understandably worry about affording healthcare. But they should also be concerned about its safety. Every day patients are harmed -- not due to lack of medical advancement, but because our health system too often fails to learn from its own mistakes. As a result, medical errors are estimated to be the third leading cause of death behind only heart disease and cancer. Many patients assume our health system continually learns how to prevent these avoidable harms. That's the goal, but that learning doesn't happen by accident.
There is a little-known federal agency dedicated to conducting and funding scientific research that makes patient care safer: the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). As a 2005 editorial in the Washington Post commented, AHRQ "is one of the few institutions in the country that does regular, neutral investigations of best medical practices."
AHRQ, established with bipartisan support in Congress, has a mandate that evolved to study how and why patients are harmed; develop practical tools for hospitals, clinicians, and patients; measure quality; identify best practices; and translate research into everyday care. Implementing safe care practices is a win-win for all -- avoiding harm and enhancing affordability.
