AHRQ Innovations Exchange

AHRQ Innovations Exchange

AHRQ’s Health Care Innovations Exchange Focuses on Clinical Support Following Unexpected Clinical Events  

The June 6 issue of AHRQ’s Health Care Innovations Exchange describes one hospital program that provides multidisciplinary team support to patients and families who experience an unexpected clinical event, and another program that provides support to clinicians who are the “secondary victims” of unexpected events. The St. Joseph Mercy Hospital’s emergency department in Ann Arbor, MI, Next Step Program supports patients and family members after an unexpected death or another unexpected negative event. A team offers to meet with patients and family members and listens to their concerns in an empathetic, compassionate manner and to the extent possible, addresses and offers support, including an apology and financial remuneration, if appropriate. The program has helped patients and families deal with unexpected events, helped physicians improve their communication skills, and led to the development of new patient safety initiatives. Select to read profiles of innovations related to adverse clinical events on the Health Care Innovations Exchange Web site, which contains more than 700 searchable innovations and 1,500 QualityTools. 

AHRQ Innovations Exchange | Multidisciplinary Hospital Team Proactively Meets With Patients and/or Families, Allowing Them to Better Deal With Unexpected Deaths and Other Negative Events

AHRQ Innovations Exchange | Innovations & QualityTools