chapter 10 | Quality and Safety 133advances in communication technology affect the
movement of people, money, and disease (Heller,
Oros, & Durney-Crowley, 2000; Kirk, 2002).
Global warming and climate change have been
linked to the emergence of new drug-resistant
organisms, an increase in vector-borne and water-
borne disease, and migration of affected popula-
tions. Safe, quality health care will need to confront
the challenges of increasing multiculturalism,
potential for pandemic, and the effect of climate
change and pollution on health.
In addition, many health-care professionals,
government agencies, and supporting organizations
have contributed to the evolution of quality and
safety within the health-care system. The
Historical Timeline (Table 10-1) highlights signif-
icant organizations and initiatives of importance to
quality and safety.table 10-1
Historical Timeline
1896 Nurses Associated Alumnae of the United States and Canada formed, later called the American Nurses Association
(ANA)
1906 Food and Drug Act signed, which began the regulation of food and drugs to protect consumers
1918 American College of Surgeons founded, which initiated minimum standards for hospitals and on-site hospital
inspections for adherence to standards
1930s Employers began offering health benefits, and the first commercial insurance companies arose
1945 Quality management principles developed by Edward Deming were applied successfully to industries such as
manufacturing, government, and health care
1951 Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) founded; currently referred to as the
Joint Commission (JC)
1955 Social Security Act passed; hospitals that had volunteered for accreditation by JCAHO were approved for
participation in Medicare and Medicaid
1966 Quality of health-care servicesdefined in the literature
1970 IOM established as a nonprofit adviser to the nation to improve health in the national academies
1979 National Committee on Quality Assurance (NCQA) established
1986 National Center of Nursing Research founded at the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
1989 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) established
1990 NCQA began accrediting managed care organizations by using data from Health Plan Employer Data and
Information Set (HEDIS)
1990 Institute of Healthcare Improvement (IHI) founded
1991 Nursing’s Agenda for Health Care Reform published by the ANA
1996 National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) founded; JC established Sentinel Event Policies
1996 IOM launched three-part initiative to study health-care system quality
1998 IOM National Roundtable on Health Care Quality released Consensus Statement
1999 IOM published To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System
2001 IOM published Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century
2001 IOM published Envisioning the National Health Care Quality Report
2001 ANA’s National Database for Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) demonstrated the positive impact of the
appropriate mix of nursing staff on patient outcomes
2001 JC mandated hospital-wide patient safety standards
2003 IOM published Priority Areas for National Action: Transforming Health Care Quality, which established priority
areas for national action to improve quality of care and outcomes (Box 10-1)
2003 JC established first set of National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG)
2003 IOM published Health Professions Education: A Bridge to Quality
2004 IOM published Keeping Patients Safe: Transforming the Work Environment of Nurses
2004 IOM published Patient Safety: Achieving a New Standard of Care
2005 ANA updated its Health Care Agenda, urging system reform
2006 IOM published Preventing Medication Errors: Quality Chasm Series