Patient Safety Awareness Week Kicking Off
Patient Safety Awareness Week begins Sunday, and it’s a campaign that has the support of AAMI, which has a mission of advancing the safe and effective use of medical technology. The week, which runs March 3-9, is an initiative of the National Patient Safety Foundation. The foundation describes the week as a chance to “recognize advancement that have been made in the patient safety arena, while acknowledging the challenges that remain—and committing to work on them, every day.”
AAMI President Mary Logan applauded the special week and said its goals dovetail with AAMI’s fundamental mission. “AAMI members are at the forefront of efforts to improve the design, maintenance, and use of medical devices and technology—always keeping in mind the overriding goal of patient safety. This week serves as a good reminder of what unites us, no matter our role or specific responsibilities.”
AAMI has a number of initiatives, resources, and programs related to patient safety, including:
- Summits with partners that bring together experts from diverse backgrounds to tackle challenges such as the management of clinical alarms and how best to achieve medical device interoperability. For details on these events, click here.
- Publications that cover a range of issues related to patient safety, including sterile processing, infusion pump systems, the security of medical devices in the cyberworld, and the growing use of wireless technology in healthcare. For more information about AAMI publications, click here.
- A comprehensive standards program of more than 100 technical committees and working groups that provide standards, recommended practices, and technical information reports for medical devices. For more information about the standards program, click here.
- Career tools that help healthcare technology management professionals sharpen their skills and expand their knowledge. For information about those tools, which include certifications and webinars, click here.
- The Healthcare Technology Safety Institute, which operates under the AAMI Foundation. Its core mission is “to engage the entire healthcare community in multidisciplinary safety initiatives that strengthen the development, management, and use of technology for improved patient outcomes.” For more information about the institute, click here.
- A blog which encourages intelligent conversation and debate among professionals looking to share tips and solutions to some of the most pressing healthcare technology challenges of the day. To visit the AAMIBlog, click here.
AAMI wants to hear how you are celebrating Patient Safety Awareness Week. To share your story, please contact Elizabeth Hollis at ehollis@aami.org.
Posted: February 26, 2013