The 2013 Patient Safety Leadership Congress, jointly sponsored by the Colorado Hospital Association and the Colorado Medical Society, was held Oct. 22 in Denver. The event brought together physicians, hospital executives, patient safety advocates and other professionals to discuss what is happening in patient safety and quality improvement, why it's happening and what's likely to happen in the next few years.

Robert Wachter

Robert Wachter, MD, professor and associate chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco, gave a big-picture view of the patient safety and quality movement, starting in November 1999 with the publication of the Institute of Medicine's "To Err is Human" report and moving through present day. Experts have switched their thinking from perfecting individuals to improving systems. To achieve quality and safety goals, he said all members of the health care team must learn to communicate effectively with one another.

Brian Sexton

Brian Sexton, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry at Duke University School of Medicine and director of the Patient Safety Center at Duke University Health System, spoke about physician resiliency and patient safety, making the case for healthy work-life balance to prevent burnout. With countless studies, he demonstrated the "science of self-care," focusing on the importance of sleep in memory consolidation and emotional regulation, and giving practical exercises to refresh and replenish mental capacity.

Eric Coleman

Eric Coleman, MD, MPH, director of the Care Transitions Program at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, talked about the challenge of ensuring patient safety at the highly vulnerable period during transitions out of the hospital and gave seven strategies to ensure safety and quality during care transitions. He emphasized the importance of engaging patients and their families and fostering cross-setting collaboration with professionals across different care settings.

Read more in the November/December issue of Colorado Medicine.

Saying no is hard but when it comes to patient care, doing the right thing shouldn't be. That's why the Colorado Medical Society, in conjunction with Kaiser Permanente and several state specialty societies, launched the Choosing Wisely Colorado campaign - to help make these patient conversations easier.

We know that medically unnecessary tests and procedures adversely affect the quality of health care in Colorado. They can drive inefficiency and sometimes even put patients in harm's way. We also know that talking with patients about medically unnecessary care can be challenging. But the potential impact you can have makes the effort worthwhile.

Choosing Wisely Colorado puts a twist on the national Choosing Wisely campaign. We aim to provide you with the tools and resources you need to make the most of these crucial conversations.

If you would like to become more involved with Choosing Wisely Colorado, contact Chet Seward at [email protected]. For more information, go to www.cms.org/choosing-wisely.

The American Medical Association recently launched a grassroots campaign to urge Congress to reform the Medicare physician payment system. A key component of the campaign is a new interactive website, FixMedicareNow.org. It empowers physicians and patients to call on lawmakers to eliminate Medicare's failed payment formula, the SGR, and move toward a 21st century health care system focused on patients, not payments. The new website features an interactive information portal that will house videos, online infographics and other resources that illustrate the need for Medicare reform.

Click here to visit FixMedicareNow.org to add your voice to the debate and keep up the pressure. And don't forget to share this website with your family, friends and patients.

Register for a free webinar to be held Oct. 29, 12 - 1 p.m., on the health insurance exchange, Connect for Health Colorado. Attendees of the free webinar will learn what the new marketplace means to your patients and practice, who is eligible for the marketplace, what resources are available, and more.

Featured guests are Marcia Benshoof from Connect for Health Colorado, Andrea Levine from COPIC Financial Services and Marilyn Rissmiller from the Colorado Medical Society. Click here to register today.

Note: This webinar is tailored for practice managers. The webinar for physicians takes place later in the day, at 6 p.m. For more information on that webinar, click here.