A National Strategy for Reducing Harm

In May 2018, IHI took the bold step of relaunching the patient safety agenda with renewed energy and focus. In convening the National Steering Committee for Patient Safety, IHI is leading the effort to develop a national strategy for reducing harm in the delivery of health care.

The National Steering Committee for Patient Safety, with members from the health care, policy, regulatory, and advocacy communities, is charged with creating a national action plan to guide patient safety efforts across the country in a cohesive and coordinated fashion.

The thinking behind this new effort stems from a 2017 Call to Action issued by the National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF), which merged with IHI that same year in part to combine the strengths of the two organizations around patient safety. The Call to Action frames harm from health care as an issue that affects all of society and demands a coordinated response by the health care and public health sectors.