Patient Safety Enhancement Program

 The Ann Arbor VA Medical Center/University of Michigan Patient Safety Enhancement Program (PSEP) aims to improve the quality of patient care by conducting research that focuses on methods of avoiding or preventing adverse patient outcomes or injuries that stem from the processes of healthcare. Three main components are envisioned: research, operational, and educational-ethical-legal. Currently, the Patient Safety Enhancement Program is focusing on the research component, with an emphasis on reducing hospital-associated complications. The explicit goal of the research component is to build on the work already performed by University of Michigan employees to synthesize and evaluate processes for reducing error, thereby informing decisions regarding the aspects of healthcare that must be modified in order to enhance patient safety. Research results are being disseminated through journal articles, book chapters, and invited lectures. The Patient Safety Enhancement Program has three objectives:

• To conduct, synthesize, and disseminate research aimed at reducing hospital-associated patient complications;
• To systematically evaluate errors in processes of care that undermine patient safety; and
• To operationalize these research findings by systematizing methods to improve the safety of hospitalized patients.