ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS IN PATIENT SAFETY

The study of patient safety is a growing research field with its unique vocabulary and jargons.
The following list serves as an aid to help understand commonly used acronyms and
abbreviations. If you have other acronyms and abbreviations related to patient safety that
should be included on this list, please forward them to info1@comofcom.com

AAHQ American Association of Healthcare Quality

AAPCC American Association of Poison Control Centers
AARP American Association of Retired Persons
ACHE American College of Healthcare Executives
ACR acute chronic ratio
ACT aircrew coordination training (aviation: same as CRM)
AE adverse event
AHA American Hospitals Association
AHRQ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
ALSDAC Anesthetic and Life Support Drugs Advisory Committee
AMA American Medical Association
AOR area of responsibility
APA American Psychiatric Association; American Pharmacists Association
APHA American Public Health Association
APSF Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation; Australian Patient Safety Foundation
ASCP American Society of Consultant Pharmacists
ASHP American Society for Health-System Pharmacists
ASQ American Society for Quality
ASRS Aviation Safety Reporting System
CAPS Center for Advancement of Patient Safety; Consumers Advancing Patient Safety
CDA clinical document architecture
CDC Center for Disease Control
CDSS clinical decision support system
CHII Consolidated Health Informatics Initiative
CM comprehensive medicine
CMR carcinogenic, mutagenic, toxic to reproduction
CMS Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
CC Community of Competence™
CPOE computerized physician order entry
CQI continuous quality improvement
CRG Community Resource Group
CRM crew resource management
CTS carpal tunnel syndrome
DBP disinfection by-products
DEA Drug Enforcement Agency
DRG diagnosis-related groups
DHHS Department of Health and Human Services
DICOM digital imaging and communications in medicine
EBM evidence-based medicine
EDC endocrine-disrupting chemicals
EHR electronic health records
EM emergency management
EMR electronic medical records
EPA Environmental Protection Agency
FDA Food and Drug Administration
FM fibromyalgia
FMEA failure mode and effect analysis
H2E Hospitals for Healthy Environment
HAI healthcare-associated (nosocomial) infection
HF human factors
HIMSS Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society
HIPAA Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
HITS health incident type and severity
HL7 Health Level Seven
HMPS Harvard Medical Practice Study
HPV high production volume chemicals
HRO high reliability organization
HS Homeland Security
ICD International Classification of Diseases
ICS intercommunication system
IEEE Institute for Electronic and Electrical Engineers
IOM Institute of Medicine
ISMP Institute for Safe Medication Practice
IT information technology
JCAHO Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
MAE medication administration error; medical adverse event
MBSG Maine Benzodiazepine Study Group
MDR medical device reporting
©
MMJ My Medical Journal
MOA mechanisms of action
MPHI Medicine/Public Health Initiative
MSDS material safety data sheet
NADDI National Association for Drug Diversion Investigators
NCHS National Center for Health Statistics
NCPA National Community Pharmacists Association
NCPDP National Council on Prescription Drug Programs
NCPIE National Center for Patient Information and Education
NCPS National Center for Patient Safety
NCQA National Committee for Quality Assurance
NCVHS National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics
NDC national drug code
NDI national drug index
NIH National Institute of Health
NHII National Health Information Infrastructure
NLM National Library of Medicine
NMMS near-miss management system
NNIS National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance
NOE Northeast Occupational Exchange
NOEL no-observed-effect level
NOAEL no-observed-adverse-effect level
NPSF National Patient Safety Foundation
NPSG National Patient Safety Goals
NQF National Quality Forum
ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy
ORM operational risk management (aviation)
P4P pay for performance (Medicare Initiative)
PBT persistent, bioaccumulative toxic
PCM patient-centered medicine
PDQ physician data query
PHA preliminary hazard assessment
PHI protected health information
PME preventive medical error
POP persistent organic pollutant
PP precautionary principle
PPCP pharmaceuticals and personal care products
©
PSCHK Patient Safety Checklist
PSO patient safety officer
PSQIA Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act
PSC Patient Safety Cycle
PSChk Patient safety checklist
PSR Patient Safety Registry
PSRS Patient Safety Reporting System
PULSE Person United Limiting Substandards and Errors in Health Care
PVRP Physician Voluntary Reporting Program
QA quality assurance
QAR quality assurance representative
QAS quality assurance supervisor
QIO quality improvement organization
QuIC Quality Interagency Coordinating Task Force
RCA root cause analysis
RCHI Rural and Community Health Institute (Texas A&M University)
SA situational awareness
SAMHSA Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
SBAR situation, background, assessment, and recommendation
SE sentinel event
SM
SKG sensokinetogram (system) to assess hand functionality
SNOMED CT Systematized Nomenclature of Human and Veterinary Medicine
SOS Share Our Stories© Patient Safety Reporting System
SUDUX structurally undefineable ubiquitous xenobiotics
TILT toxicant-induced loss of tolerance
TORB telephone order repeat back
TRM team resource management
UHI unique health identifier
UEM unused and expired medicines
UEMR Unused and Expired Medicines Registry
USP U.S. Pharmacopeia
VA Veterans Administration
VHA Veterans Health Administration
WAPS World Alliance for Patient Safety
WHO World Health Organization
X12 Accrediting Standards Committee, Subcommittee on Insurance, Working Group 12