Anesthesiology as a specialty has been acknowledged for advancing quality of care, as documented by the 1999 Institute of Medicine publication To Err is Human.1 While the publication brought medical errors and preventable complications and deaths to the attention of providers and the public, identification of problems associated with perioperative care and approaches to address them have been of concern to anesthesiologists for decades. The landmark study by Beecher and Todd in 1954 found that anesthesia-related mortality was 64 deaths per 100,000 procedures; this propelled the specialty to improve training and guidelines for practice.1 Based on this background, anesthesiologists have long been leaders and innovators in patient safety, exemplified by the creation of ASA monitoring standards in 1986 and the establishment of the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF) in 1985, the first organization to focus solely on patient safety in a medical specialty; its vision is “that...
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
Article|
October 2021
The Present and Future Champions of Patient Safety
Meghan B. Lane-Fall, MD, MSHP, FCCM
Meghan B. Lane-Fall, MD, MSHP, FCCM
Search for other works by this author on:
ASA Monitor October 2021, Vol. 85, 32–34.
Citation
Emily Methangkool, Monica W. Harbell, Meghan B. Lane-Fall; The Present and Future Champions of Patient Safety. ASA Monitor 2021; 85:32–34 doi: https://doi.org/10.1097/01.ASM.0000795176.25982.81
Download citation file:
Sign in
ASA members enjoy complimentary access to ASA publications, as well as a variety of educational resources. Join today!
Pay-Per-View Access
$20.00
Advertisement
497
Views
Email alerts
Related Articles
Thomas Dent Mütter, M.D. (1811 to 1859): Exemplar of Expertise
Anesthesiology (December 2022)
Our Role as Physicians: Bridging the Divide as Champions of Compassion
ASA Monitor (February 2024)
LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE Highlights Successes and Prepares for Future Challenges
ASA Monitor (August 2017)
Navigating PQRS Reporting Through the ASA QCDR
ASA Monitor (September 2015)
LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE 2022 Returns to Washington, DC
ASA Monitor (October 2022)
Advertisement