Physician Practice

Q&A: Zero harm study

Medical Environment Update, January 23, 2020

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by Brian Ward

The Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare released a new study on zero harm and high reliability this August (see pg. xyz.). The study asked 1,050 healthcare professionals if they believe zero harm is possible and if they have what they need to reach it.  

Anne Marie Benedicto, MPP, MPH, is vice president of The Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare. She spoke with MEU about the Center’s first-ever broad-based study on zero harm and what they’ve learned from it.

This Q&A has been lightly edited for clarity.

Q: Is this the first zero harm study the Center has done? How has this year’s data compared to prior years?

Benedicto: This is the first widespread, broad-based study [on zero harm]. We had participation rates of more than a thousand people. In the past, we’ve done quality-driven interviews on zero harm and high reliability to test the field and what they know about it, what the fields were, any guidance [needed]. Therefore, that quality data is more directional than numbers based.

This is an excerpt from a member only article. To read the article in its entirety, please login or subscribe to Medical Environment Update.

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