In a new way: The American Society of Professionals in Patient Safety

Diane Pinakiewicz and her team at the National Patient Safety Foundation recently announced the launch of the American Society of Professionals in Patient Safety.

In an interview, Diane told the story and described the vision behind it. This is excerpted from our interview:

In 2007, we took stock, and said, We've been working in this area for ten years, and now, patient safety is a legitimate discipline. So how do we legitimize and organize it and help move it forward? We developed the Leape Institute, as a think tank for the field.

There were many passionate people, but no membership organization for them to connect to. NPSF had a membership programs for hospitals, but not one for individuals with patient safety as its uniting principle.

And the field lacked a certification program like the ones there are for Risk Management, Quality Improvement, and so forth.

We want people to understand that this is everyone's responsibility.

Our vision of success for the ASPPS ten years from now would have two parts. First, everyone in the healthcare system who delivers services to patients would have learned, and could exhibit, competencies for safe care. Second, that patients and their families would be educated and involved in a new way in the tenets of patient safety, and they'd know why their involvement is so important.

Read another story about http://www.patientsafetyblog.com/2011/01/recent-progress-by-patient-activists.html">visionary patient safety experts. Thanks to Diane Pinakiewicz for the interview.