Patient Safety Research in Medical Group Practices: Measurement and Data Challenges

This paper attempts to identify and discuss some of the major challenges to conducting patient safety research in medical group practices. First, the authors identify the most important attributes of medical group practices to be considered in this type of research. The measurement and specification of these variables are discussed, and the problems associated with past research are noted. Alternate ways of specifying key variables are discussed, and examples of methods that have been shown to be effective are provided. The authors then propose a definition of patient safety and discuss issues around its measurement. Finally, they discuss how the data requirements for this type of research are very complex and outline benefits and challenges related to using certain types of data. Sections are as follows: specifying and measuring group practice variables; measuring patient safety; and data sources, including claims data, group practice surveys, patient surveys, self-reporting systems, and electronic medical records (EMRs). Published in Advances in Patient Safety: From Research to Implementation, v2 p51-62, AHRQ Publication Nos. 050021 (1-4), Feb 2005.