The health care delivery system has evolved from a largely inpatient, hospital oriented system to one increasingly emphasizing ambulatory care. As ambulatory care takes on a greater volume and variety of services it also becomes more vulnerable to system malfunctions and procedural failures that can result in medical errors and the reduction of patient safety. How patient safety is affected by the interaction of complex health care systems and an entire schedule of social, economic, technological and organizational factors along with medical judgement and provider decisions in ambulatory care settings has been largely overlooked in the medical error/patient safety research literature. Therefore, there is a clear need for research into this pivotal component of the health service delivery system. The Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) Center for Research will bring together 35-45 interdisciplinary researchers, health policy leaders, physicians, key administrators and community resources to define the scope of the patient safety problem and generate a research agenda to address the important questions of its dimensions and possible solutions. Key topic areas are: Defining the scope of the patient safety problem in ambulatory care Quality improvement effects on patient safety Legal and regulatory factors for patient safety in ambulatory care Technological advances to improve ambulatory patient safety Research to help create an ambulatory care culture that protects the safety of its patient population This conference is planned for two days and will include several facilitated breakout sessions and grand round discussions to maximize effective input and feedback from the attending professionals. Information dissemination will include Internet based access to all conference presentations, proceedings to all attendees, and publication of key findings in MGMA trade journals and additional peer reviewed publications.
