Patient Safety
Partnering with experts and health care organizations around the world, IHI innovates approaches that transform patient and workforce safety, demonstrably eliminate harm and save lives, and build capability and competencies for the health care workforce to enable continuous improvement, spread, and sustainability for safety in all care settings.
As described in Safer Together: National Action Plan to Advance Patient Safety, IHI seeks to advance a total systems approach to safety: integration of safety science and high-reliability principles to mitigate and prevent risks; committed leaders who foster a culture of safety and ensure workforce safety and well-being; meaningful engagement of patients and families to co-design safety; and learning systems that continuously improve and enable safety to propagate within and beyond organizations.
IHI aims to integrate patient safety, workforce safety, and workforce well-being, grounded in evidence and the science and methods of improvement, to ensure that every patient receives safe, reliable, effective, and equitable care from a fully-enabled health care workforce.
Enhance Your Knowledge and Skills to Improve Patient Safety
Training and Professional Development
Explore learning opportunities focused on improving patient safety
IHI Open School
Build knowledge and skills to improve patient safety with IHI Open School online courses
Certified Professional in Patient Safety
Earn the CPPS credential by demonstrating proficiency in core patient safety standards
Certified Professional in Human Factors in Health Care
Earn the CPHFH to demonstrate a high level of proficiency in applying the core standards of human factors, systems thinking, and design to health care improvement
Free Resources and Tools to Support Your Work to Improve Patient Safety
Patient Safety Resources
Explore tools, white papers, publications, insights, and other resources to support your efforts to improve patient safety
Patient and Workforce Safety Initiatives
National Action Plan to Advance Patient Safety
A total systems approach to safety: 17 actionable recommendations to advance safety across the care continuum
Age-Friendly Health Systems
The Age-Friendly Health System movement aims to provide older adults with safe, effective, reliable, and patient-centered care in settings across the care continuum
Patient Safety Awareness Week
An annual recognition event in March that seeks to inspire action to improve the safety of the health care system
IHI Lucian Leape Institute
A think tank to identify new approaches to improving patient and workforce safety and accelerating progress
IHI Patient Safety Learning Series
Expert-led sessions give health care professionals the knowledge to integrate the CMS Patient Safety Structural Measure (PSSM) into their daily operations. This learning series engages health care leaders and teams with practical tips, hands-on tools, and real-world examples to implement effective strategies and achieve measurable progress in patient and workforce safety.
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IHI Safer Together Recognition Program
Celebrate your organization's commitment to advancing quality and safety. The IHI Safer Together Recognition Program acknowledges the achievements of hospitals that have made significant strides to improve patient and workforce safety by implementing proactive changes in systems and processes.
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Related Improvement Areas
Workforce Safety
Health care workforce safety — physical, psychological, and emotional — is inextricably linked to patient safety, outcomes, and experience of care.
Workforce Well-Being and Joy in Work
The well-being and engagement of the health care workforce impacts health care quality, workforce safety, patient safety, and patient experience.
