Written for virtually every professional and leader in the health care field, as well as students who are preparing for careers in health services delivery, this book presents a framework for developing a patient safety program, shows how best to examine events that do occur, and reveals how to ensure that appropriate corrective and preventative actions are reviewed for effectiveness. The book covers a comprehensive selection of topics including The link between patient safety and legal and regulatory compliance The role of accreditation and standard--setting organizations in patient safety Failure modes and effect analysis Voluntary and regulatory oversight of medical error Evidence--based outcomes and standards of care Creation and preservation of reports, data, and device evidence in medical error situations Claims management when dealing with patient safety events Full disclosure Patient safety in human research Managing confidentiality in the face of litigation Managing patient safety compliance through accountability--based credentialing for health care professionals Planning for the future