CHCF August 9, 2022
When entering the health care system, all patients deserve freedom from accidental or preventable injuries produced by medical care. But there is strong evidence that the incidence of patient safety events, which the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality defines as preventable errors, injuries, or harm to a patient during the process of health care, varies across patients from different racial and ethnic backgrounds. Patients of color are more likely to experience some types of these events. There is growing sentiment that racism may play a critical role in patient safety events, though this area is understudied.
With support from CHCF, RAND Corporation and MedStar Health Research Institute researchers examined the intersection of patient safety and racism with a focus...