According to the report, patient safety experts convened by the American Medical Association Center for Patient Safety reviewed around 100 studies conducted from 2000-2010 on outpatient safety. The group found that ambulatory research has unnecessarily taken a backseat to research on hospital-based problems.
Ambulatory care studies that have taken place give some insight into safety issues in the outpatient setting. The studies show instances of safety problems, including serious errors in diagnosis, prescribing and communication. Despite identification of several separate issues, the body of research does not identify the most harmful problems.
According to the report, the biggest obstacle in the way of safety improvement is the lack of data on the scope of problems, corrective plans and achievable goals. Real data and real solutions are necessary to help physicians improve safety.
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