National Quality Forum

National Quality Forum. Welcome to the National Quality Forum, http // qualityforum.org/, accessed June 23, 2003. 

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National Quality Forum, 601 13th Street NW, Suite 500 North, Washington, D.C. 

In 2003 the National Quality Forum in the United States endorsed a total of 30 patient safety-related safer practices that should be implemented throughout clinical care settings to lower the risk of error and resultant harm to patients in general [20,21]. The first safer practice (i.e.. Create and sustain a health care culture of safety) was composed of the following four basic components [20,21] ... 

Additional information on the remaining 29 patient safety-related safer practices endorsed by the National Quality Forum is available in Ref. [20]. 

In 1998, the President s Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health Care Industry proposed the creation of the National Quality Forum (NQF) as part of an integrated national agenda for quality improvement, and NQF was incorporated as a not-for-profit membership organization in 1999. Members include leaders from consumer organizations, purchaser organizations, provider organizations, health plans, and health service research organizations. Their... 

Source Adapted from Roundtable Discussion on Design Considerations for a Patient Safety Improvement Reporting System, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente Institute for Health Policy, NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System, and the National Quality Forum, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffitt Field, Calif., Aug. 28-29,2000. 

Using National Quality Forum "Never Again" Events... 

There is growing interest that mandatory reporting and measures should center on the National Quality Forum s published list of Never Again events. The top six priorities from this list, as identified by NQF, are as follows ... 

The National Quality Forum (2003) has published a report on research-based best safety practices, thirty of which—chosen for their potential impact, the strength of the evidence supporting them, and the feasibility of their implementation— rest on the establishment of a culture of safety (see Exhibit 9.1). 

In addition, the report begins to articulate the minimum specifications for a health care culture of safety. These minimum specifications suggest standardized policies and operating procedures to meet the aims of harm-free care (National Quality Forum, 2003, p. 18) ... 

Source Adapted from National Quality Forum, Safe Practices for Better Healthcare A Consensus... 

Source Serious Reportable Events in Healthcare A Consensus Report. National Quality Forum, Washington D.C. This list is dynamic and will be updated see www.qualityforum.com. 

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), in addition to performing its primary role of supporting research, has taken the lead in promoting the identihcation and implementation of safe practices. To do this, AHRQ commissioned the National Quality Forum (NQF) to develop a list of thirty safe practices, published in May 2003. NQF s expert committee found sufficient evidence of impact to recommend these thirty practices to all hospitals. Both JCAHO and the Leapfrog Group will probably look to this fist for additional practices to be recommended. 

National Quality Forum. National consensus standards for nursing-sensitive care An initial performance measure set. Washington, DC National Quality Forum 2004. 

Surveys can help to define the components of disclosure that matter most to patients and their families (1) disclosure of all harmful errors, (2) an explanation as to why the error occurred, (3) how to minimize the error s effects, and (4) steps the physician and organization will take to prevent recurrences. Full disclosure of an error incorporates these components as weU as acknowledgement of responsibility and an apology by the physician. Many physicians choose their words carefully by failing to clearly explain the error or its effects on the patient s health. Circumstances surrounding an error can become complex. Physicians may not know how much information to disclose and how to explain the error to the patient. Recently developed guidelines should assist physicians with this process. Since 2001, the Joint Commission requires disclosure of unanticipated outcomes of care. In 2006, the National Quality Forum endorsed fuU disclosure of serious unanticipated outcomes as one of its 30 safe practices for healthcare. 

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