While progress has been made in the realm of patient safety over the past two decades, medical harm remains a leading cause of death worldwide, making it a public health concern. As many as 250,000 to 400,000 US deaths annually are blamed on errors or preventable harm, and an estimated 40% of patients experience mostly preventable harm in ambulatory and primary care settings.

Embracing this year’s Patient Safety Awareness Week (March 9-15) theme, Moving the Needle, allows healthcare-related organizations – including EHR and other health IT developers – to focus on continuous improvement and ensure that patient safety becomes part of standard practice.