The critical issues of medical errors and patient safety have received a great deal of attention recently. Many of these adverse events are associated with the use of pharmaceuticals, and are potentially preventable. Research Objectives AHRQ recognizes that the mission of the CERTs is consistent with the patient safety agenda and therefore proposes to provide additional funding to enhance the work of the CERTs in this area. AHRQ will consider requests from current grantees to develop supplemental research projects consistent with the original scope of the individual CERT and allowing the Centers to supplement their existing patient safety agendas. In developing these projects, the grantees are required to utilize the definition of medical errors provided by the QuIC report which states, An error is defined as the failure of a planned action to be completed as intended or the use of a wrong plan to achieve an aim.
Errors can include problems in practice, products, procedures, and systems.
For FY 2001, AHR is issuing a series of research proposals targeting patient safety issues. The research to be supported by the CERTs supplements should complement the AHRQ patient safety agenda by taking advantage of existing capacity and work on the safety of therapeutics. Reviewers will consist of AHRQ, program staff, with assistance from the Food and Drug Administration, as needed. Each Center may submit a single application, that may cover a number of relevant safety issues. Requests are limited to two years.