Communication and Resolution Programs (CRPs) are comprehensive, principled, and systematic initiatives to prevent and respond to patient harm. An effectively implemented CRP can support patients, families, and providers after harm and facilitate learning. CRP implementation has dramatically accelerated, with over 300 healthcare organizations pursuing this model. Yet the CRP field is challenged by inconsistent implementation, which means that fewer patients, families, and providers benefit from CRPs. Inconsistent implementation also fuels skepticism that organizations may be using CRPs to manage liability claims rather than improve patient safety and promote transparency. A core set of CRP metrics, coupled with novel implementation and improvement strategies for streamlining the CRP process, are critical to achieving the promise of CRPs while avoiding common pitfalls. A national project funded by three patient advocates has sought to address this problem by using a multi-step process to develop, refine, and implement CRP metrics. First, an extensive literature review was coupled with an expert panel assessment to develop a robust set of CRP metrics, which was followed by an initial pilot test. Next, an Implementation and Improvement Guide is being created so that organizations can use these metrics and other new tools in support of highly reliable CRPs. The project’s leaders will describe its rationale, share the metrics to augment the spread of CRPs, present the CRP Implementation and Improvement Guide, and discuss intended use of these tools. They will also introduce a national CRP Action Network being formed to accelerate high-fidelity CRP implementation at committed organizations.

Objectives:

• Describe the root causes and consequences of inconsistent implementation of CRPs and the role that metrics and an Implementation and Improvement Guide could play in addressing this problem
• List the key metrics related to CRP structure, process, and outcomes recently developed by a national panel of experts
• Explore how health systems can improve the implementation of a CRP using CRP metrics and an Implementation and Improvement Guide

Speakers: Thomas Gallagher and Evan Benjamin