OBJECTIVE: To investigate the idea that knowledge management and managers have a key role to play in the area of patient safety.
METHODS: A review of the literature and experience from 12 months working in the Natyional Patient Safety Agency in the United Kingdom.
RESULTS: Two key papers by Holman in Healthleaders News September 2002 and David Bates in the New England Journal of Medicine June 2003, prompted this investigation. Bates's article deals with the concept of improving safety through the use of information technology whilst Holman concentrates on the role of the medical librarian in reducing medical errors. Bates mentions access to information as a key area for improving safety amongst others such as streamlining care whilst Holman concentrates on the practical issues and how medical librarians can help. In the UK, the National Patient Safety Agency is using the concepts of knowledge management to extract information both from reports submitted by healthcare practitioners but also experiential learning from patients. In addition access to the growing literature on patient safety and the safety issues of information "overload" have been investigated and, given space constraints, a "virtual library" of safety information is in process of being created. Parallel to this, but related, is the development of an new regulatory body in the UK to register health informaticians as worthy to practice with which the author is involved.
CONCLUSIONS: Medical librarians and information professionals have a key role to play in the areas of patient safety both helping to promote the concept and to support healthcare providers as they put safety solutions into place.
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