Table 5.

Overview of safety strategies (across domains)

Domain	Top Themes	Support from Data Sources
		Clinician / Staff Interviews	Patient Focus Groups	Observation Data
Missed, delayed, or incorrect diagnoses	Using electronic health record (EHR) systems to track test results / flag abnormal and overdue tests	●		●
	Using protocols to systematically gather new patient information, particularly after transitions of care	●		●
	Using a team-based approach during the diagnostic process	●
	Scheduling enough time for physicians to explore patients’ underlying conditions	●	●
	Providing coordinated “next steps” following a visit		●	●
Delays in treatment or preventive services	Increasing access to care through more timely appointments, on-site laboratory testing, and on-site specialty services	●	●	●
	Leveraging health information technology (HIT) systems to track outstanding referrals / health screenings	●		●
Medication Safety Issues	Having clinical pharmacists on staff	●	●
	Using HIT systems to check for drug-drug interactions	●		●
	Facilitating medication reconciliation by printing medication lists for patients during the visit / asking patients to physically bring in pill bottles	●	●	●
	Conducting medication reconciliation in the patient’s home	●
	Providing patients with physical descriptions of medications (e.g. shape, color)		●
Issues of communication and coordination of care	Appointing / hiring staff to perform care coordination activities during transitions of care	●	●
	Using the EHR’s patient portal to facilitate timely communication	●	●	●