Serious Safety Events: Getting to Zero™
Serious Safety Events: Getting to Zero™ provides healthcare leaders with a framework for defining, identifying, investigating, measuring, and ultimately preventing serious safety events (SSEs). The paper advocates for a standardized approach to patient safety, emphasizing that achieving zero preventable harm requires consistent definitions, thorough investigations, meaningful measurement, and organizational learning.
Who It’s For
This white paper is designed for:
- Healthcare risk managers
- Patient safety professionals
- Quality leaders
- Healthcare executives
- Clinical leaders
- Compliance and accreditation professionals
- Healthcare board members and trustees
What It Can Be Used For
Use this resource to answer:
- What is a Serious Safety Event (SSE)?
- How should healthcare organizations consistently define and classify SSEs?
- What distinguishes an SSE from a near miss or adverse event?
- How should organizations investigate serious safety events?
- What role do risk managers play in SSE response and prevention?
- How can healthcare organizations measure safety performance and track progress toward zero preventable harm?
- What governance, leadership, and cultural practices support safer care delivery?
Why It Matters
This foundational ASHRM white paper helps organizations move beyond reacting to individual events and toward building a proactive, high-reliability approach to patient safety. It offers practical guidance for establishing common definitions, conducting credible investigations, and using data to drive continuous improvement and harm reduction.