Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois to Offer ABMS(R) Patient Safety Improvement Program to Network ...( Program incorporates key patient ...),Health

Program incorporates key patient safety topics, methods of assessment and improvement activities for individual physician practices

EVANSTON, Ill., March 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) announced today that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) is offering the ABMS Patient Safety Improvement Program to HMO and PPO network physicians as a resource to help improve quality and safety in patient care. BCBSIL is the first health insurance company to adopt the program.

The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) estimates that nearly 15 million instances of medical harm occur in the U.S. each year, based on data collected over several years. This translates to a rate of more than 40,000 incidents per day. The ABMS Patient Safety Improvement Program was designed so that all healthcare professionals can improve upon safety in their clinical environments by identifying and analyzing areas for improvement and implementing changes based on best practices.

"Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois' mission is to promote the health and wellness of our members and our communities through accessible, cost-effective, quality health care," said Paul S. Boulis, president, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois. "In line with our mission, Blue Cross has a history of supporting initiatives that promote quality and patient safety."

With a robust curriculum and performance improvement activities, the Web-based ABMS Patient Safety Improvement Program provides a self-paced educational experience which is broadly applicable across medical disciplines and clinical settings. It is presented in these areas:

-- Patient safety scenarios highlight key themes of patient safety that cut across disciplines such as medication errors, handoffs and teamwork

-- Patient safety curriculum comprehensively covers Epidemiology, Systems, Communication and Safety Culture

-- Quality improve
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