The Office of the National Coordinator said Wednesday it had given the Institute of Medicine close to $1 million to study how to improve patient safety with health information technology.

The institute is tasked with recommending ways the government and private sector can work together to minimize HIT-related errors, the ONC said.

Among the study's goals is to figure out potential roles of accrediting bodies and patient safety organizations, as well as to find ways to promote safety-enhancing features of the technology. The one-year contract is worth $989,000.
"This study will draw on IOM's depth of knowledge in this area to help all of us ensure that HIT reaches the goals we are seeking for patient safety improvement," Dr. David Blumenthal, national coordinator for health information technology, said in prepared remarks.

The IOM is a pioneer of patient safety research. In 1999, the institute published the well-regarded, and oft-cited, study on preventable medical errors, "To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System", credited with bringing national attention to the topic.

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