Foreword

Through all of human history, health caregivers have been respected individuals in society. Now with the Internet, consumerism, the Baby Boomers aging, risk adjustment, outcomes measurement, and quality metrics, blind trust in clinicians has begun to erode.

The “Crossing the Quality Chasm” reports (Committee on Quality of Healthcare in America, 2001) by the Institute of Medicine over the past decade have identified the stark reality of errors in the healthcare system—more than 98,000 preventable deaths each year. Although the exact number is disputed, one life lost to error is one too many.

Many in academia, clinical practice, and government have suggested that use of information technology in healthcare is the answer to error reduction. ...

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