Medical Errors Announcement

Transcript

Medical Errors Announcement

This is a National Audio Teleconference sponsored by the User Liaison Program, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, conducted February 22, 2000.

The following is a news announcement. Suggested lead in 3, 2...

(NARRATOR)
Medical errors and patient safety issues throughout the nation's health care system have hit headlines in recent months. Dr. John Eisenberg, director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the operating chairperson of the Federal Quality Interagency Coordination, or QuIC [pronounced "quick"], task force testified before a joint congressional hearing on the task force's report to the president. In his testimony, Dr. Eisenberg outlined a four-part strategy that includes a system for reporting medical errors.

(EISENBERG)
ANY SYSTEM OF REPORTING ON PATIENT SAFETY IS GOING TO NEED TO ADDRESS BOTH LEARNING FROM ERRORS, SO THAT WE CAN IMPROVE, AND ALSO ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE PUBLIC, SO THAT THEY KNOW THAT THE CARE THAT THEY'RE GETTING IS ACCEPTABLY SAFE.

(NARRATOR)
President Clinton released the report formally at a White House event Tuesday [February 22, 2000]. The full text of the report is available on the Internet, at www-dot-q-u-i-c-dot-gov. In addition, the White House has issued a statement about the report, which is available at www-dot-white-house-dot-gov. And additional information on the issue of medical errors, including a backgrounder, is available at www-dot-a-h-r-q-dot-gov. This is Mike Weiner reporting.