AcademyHealth has developed a series of research syntheses on patient safety to serve as tools for employers who purchase health insurance and other health care decision makers, so they can better understand and evaluate policy and practical approaches. AcademyHealth's patient safety syntheses were sponsored by the National Health Care Purchasing Institute, an initiative of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Computer Physician Order Entry Systems (CPOE), Evidence-Based Hospital Referral (EHR), and Intensivist Staffing in ICUs are three approaches to prevent hospital errors recommended by The Leapfrog Group, a coalition of more than 100 public and private organizations that provide health care benefits. The Leapfrog Group works with medical experts to identify problems and propose solutions to improve hospital systems.

The main findings from the core literature on CPOE systems, EHR, and intensivist staffing in ICUs are presented in plain language to help guide purchasers, providers and policymakers toward actionable steps to reduce preventable medical mistakes. The policy issue is framed in the Executive Summary and the key practical implications are captured under Purchaser Tips. Readers seeking more detail can "drill-down" to the Research Synthesis, Related Links, and Glossary sections that provide additional information and resources on these topics.

Three approaches to prevent hospital errors recommended by the Leapfrog Group
	With Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) systems physicians enter medication orders via a computer loaded with prescribing error prevention software.
	Staffing in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) with physicians who have credentials in critical care medicine reduces ICU mortality rates.
	Evidence-Based Hospital Referral (EHR) is the practice of referring patients needing certain complex medical procedures to hospitals offering the best survival odds based on scientifically valid criteria and can substantially reduce patients risk of dying.