Ethics Talk: Are Hospitals and Clinics Safe Places for Patients? - September 2011

Some say little has improved in the 12 years since the Institute of Medicine drew the nation's attention to the unacceptable number of "adverse unexpected events"—read "errors"—in U.S. hospitals. Virtual Mentor spoke with Dr. David Classen, associate professor of medicine at the University of Utah, about the current state of patient safety in the United States. Dr Classen discussed the goals and challenges of improving patient safety in inpatient and ambulatory settings and how health care reform will impact future efforts to improve patient safety.