Welcome to HealthCare PSI

We are Americans. We work in health care, law and the media. We live across the U.S.A. We have different perspectives on the same problem - the current state of U.S. health care - but we have reached the same conclusion: To improve Patient Safety, the focus needs to shift away from studies and initiatives and special programs, and move squarely to those responsible for setting the Standard of Care - hospital owners and CEOs. PSI stands for Patient Safety Investigation. That's what we're all about.

A Lack of Accountability

You've seen the numbers. In 1999, The Institute of Medicine admitted that as many as 98,000 people died in U.S. hospitals each year as the result of medical errors. That report is ten years old. In May of 2005, HealthGrades released the findings of another study that included Medicare hospitalizations; the number of had jumped to more than 241,000 deaths due to preventable medical errors.

No one knows the true numbers because many hospitals under-report these events.

One thing is certain; health care institutions seem to be making a succession of lateral moves toward improving Patient Safety instead of making real progress. Studies are undertaken, reports are written, grants given, press releases issued, software purchased and campaigns announced that supposedly help guarantee that patients have a safe and positive outcome. Yet, the number of people killed and injured in U.S. hospitals each year remains staggering.

This leads us to believe that those in charge aren't really serious about providing better patient care; their efforts amount to window dressing.

This will continue until we stand up and demand quality care. Shoddy customer service isn't tolerated in restaurants or retail stores or car dealerships, so why should it be the accepted norm in hospitals?

HealthCare PSI exists to bring about real changes in Patient Safety.