Patient Safety in the Era of AI
The Patient Safety in the Era of AI initiative explores the potential of AI to enable every health care delivery system in the nation to significantly improve patient safety and prevent harm. This initiative will develop and catalyze action on a national strategy that advances the vision of zero harm as no longer simply aspirational but attainable.
25 Years Since To Err is Human: Realizing the Potential of Patient Safety Using AI
To Err is Human, a seminal IOM/NAM publication, helped ignite the national patient safety movement 25 years ago and sparked decades of work aimed at reducing harm. As meaningful progress has been made, the complexity of health care has created additional opportunities for error that require assessment and improvement. Success is also often isolated in instances that are difficult to sustain and replicate. AI in health care introduces powerful new tools to bridge this gap, but realizing its transformative potential requires overcoming the barriers that have prevented longstanding, system-wide progress.
The Patient Safety in the Era of AI initiative will formally launch in spring 2026 and is a two-year effort led by strategic change makers who will develop a national strategy informed by input from the health field, capitalizing on AI as a facilitator of breakthrough improvement in patient safety.
Steering Group
The Patient Safety AI initiative is led by a national Steering Group that provides strategic oversight and direction in developing and catalyzing a national strategy for patient safety. The Steering Group is composed of distinguished thought leaders whose expertise in advancing systemic change and building alignment across the field ensures both rigor and impact.
Co-Chairs
What to Expect
Outputs
The two-year initiative will include the following expected outputs:
- A landscape assessment to build on the progress of patient safety to-date, examining the history of the patient safety movement and existing national and international frameworks and policies.
- A commentary paper with draft components of a national patient safety strategy.
- A public comment period to collect feedback from the field on the proposed national strategy components.
- 1-2 NAM national workshops to consider the benefits, risks, opportunities, challenges, and potential strategies related to developing a patient safety strategy.
- A final discussion paper that outlines a national strategy for patient safety, which focuses on creating the conditions where improvement in patient safety is imperative.
Have Questions?
Get in Touch
This project is currently supported by the Elevance Health Foundation, AAMI and California Health Care Foundation, the first organizations to join the funder coalition.
For more information on the project, please email Laura Adams, Senior Advisor, at [email protected] and Sunita Krishnan, Senior Program Officer, at [email protected].
