title: Patient safety goals for the proposed Federal Health Information Technology Safety Center.
abstract: The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology is expected to oversee creation of a Health Information Technology (HIT) Safety Center. While its functions are still being defined, the center is envisioned as a public-private entity focusing on promotion of HIT related patient safety. We propose that the HIT Safety Center leverages its unique position to work with key administrative and policy stakeholders, healthcare organizations (HCOs), and HIT vendors to achieve four goals: (1) facilitate creation of a nationwide 'post-marketing' surveillance system to monitor HIT related safety events; (2) develop methods and governance structures to support investigation of major HIT related safety events; (3) create the infrastructure and methods needed to carry out random assessments of HIT related safety in complex HCOs; and (4) advocate for HIT safety with government and private entities. The convening ability of a federally supported HIT Safety Center could be critically important to our transformation to a safe and effective HIT enabled healthcare system.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas-Memorial Hermann Center for Healthcare Quality and Safety, School of Biomedical Informatics, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Dean F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Sittig
authors.affiliation: University of Utah and Pascal Metrics Inc, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Classen
authors.affiliation: Houston VA Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety, Michael E DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, Texas, USA Section of Health Services Research, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Hardeep
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D003132:Commerce / Q000592:standards; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D008490:Medical Informatics / Q000592:standards*; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized / Q000592:standards*; D061214:Patient Safety; D011159:Population Surveillance; D014481:United States; D037041:United States Government Agencies
keywords: Electronic Health Records; Health Information Technology; Health Policy; Patient Safety