Patient Safety Issues in Primary Care Are Real

Did you know patient safety issues in primary care are real. 1 in 20 outpatients experiences a diagnostic error, with 55% of patients said diagnostic errors were a chief concern in outpatient visits. An estimated 160 million medication errors occur each year in primary care. 1 in 9 ED admissions are related to an adverse drug event. Up to 80% of information shared in a primary care visit is immediately forgotten by patients. Improve patient safety by engaging patients and families. Reduce errors and improved efficiency by setting the visit agenda together with Be Prepared to Be Engaged. Encourage safe medicine practices by Creating a Safe Medicine List together. Improve communication and health literacy through Teach-Back. Support closed-loop and collaborative communication using the Warm Handoff Plus

Patient Safety Issues in Primary Care Are Real (PDF, 324 KB)

Source: Guide to Improving Patient Safety in Primary Care Settings by Engaging Patients and Families

Page last reviewed August 2018
Page originally created August 2018
Internet Citation: Patient Safety Issues in Primary Care Are Real. Content last reviewed August 2018. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/data/infographics/patient-safety-issues.html