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As the lead federal agency for advancing patient safety, ÂÜÀòÊÓƵinvests in research and implementation projects that bridge the gap between research and the delivery of safer patient care. AHRQ-Funded Patient Safety Project Highlights reflect the work of agency grantees and contractors. Organized by theme, the summaries provide brief descriptions of individual projects as well as research highlights.

AHRQ-Funded Patient Safety Project Highlights

• Improving Healthcare Safety by Preventing Procedural Harms and In-Facility Injuries (August 2025) (PDF, 1.2 MB): In the delivery of healthcare, practices are implemented that prevent procedural harms and in-facility injuries to improve the safety of clinical encounters, interventions, and stays. From 2000 through 2024, ÂÜÀòÊÓƵsupported 127 patient safety projects designed to prevent procedural harms and in-facility injuries. This publication summarizes AHRQ’s investments in this pathway toward safer care, including examples of project findings and products, collective outputs, and impacts of this work.
• Improving Healthcare Safety by Enhancing Health Information Technology and Health Information Exchange (updated August 2025) (PDF, 1 MB): Research has shown that health information technology and health information exchange make it possible for healthcare providers to safely and securely access and share information about a patient’s health, such as patient history, vital signs, diagnoses, medications, and disease progression. From 2000 through 2024, ÂÜÀòÊÓƵsupported 60 patient safety projects related to HIT and HIE. This publication summarizes AHRQ’s investments in this pathway toward better care, including examples of project findings and products, collective outputs, and impacts of this work.
• Improving Healthcare Safety by Supporting Measure Implementation (August 2025) (PDF, 1.5 MB): Measure implementation is a fundamental component of delivering high-quality healthcare services and ensuring the well-being of patients. It is a critical process for identifying improvement areas, standardizing care, preventing adverse events, reducing costs, and improving patient safety, outcomes, and satisfaction. From 2000 through 2024, ÂÜÀòÊÓƵsupported 100 patient safety projects related to measure implementation. This publication summarizes AHRQ’s investments in this pathway toward safer care, including examples of project findings and products, collective outputs, and impacts of this work.  
• Improving Healthcare Safety by Enhancing Medication Safety (updated August 2025) (PDF, 1 MB): Medication safety refers to the practices and measures implemented to minimize the risk of medication errors and adverse drug events in various settings across the healthcare continuum. From 2000 to 2024, ÂÜÀòÊÓƵsupported 137 patient safety projects related to medication safety. This publication summarizes AHRQ’s investments toward safer care, including examples of project findings and products, collective outputs, and impacts of this work.
• Improving Healthcare Safety by Enhancing Teamwork and Leadership (updated July 2025) (PDF, 1 MB): Research shows that improved teamwork reduces the number of medical errors and improves patient safety.2 Since 2000, ÂÜÀòÊÓƵhas supported 62 patient safety projects to improve communication between healthcare providers and leadership skills among those in charge. This publication summarizes AHRQ’s investments in improving teamwork and leadership skills, from identifying communication breakdowns to using simulation training to enhancing communication skills.
• Improving Healthcare Using Human Factors and Systems Engineering Approaches (May 2025) (PDF, 1 MB): From 2000 through 2024 ÂÜÀòÊÓƵsupported 127 patient safety projects related to human factors and systems engineering. This publication summarizes AHRQ’s investments in this pathway toward safer care, including examples of project findings and products, collective outputs, and impacts of this work.
• Improving Patient Safety by Enhancing Care Coordination (updated May 2025) (PDF, 994 KB): Care coordination is defined as the process of organizing patient care activities and sharing information among all individuals concerned with a patient’s care to achieve safe and effective care. Since 2000, ÂÜÀòÊÓƵhas supported 47 patient safety projects related to enhancing care coordination.
• Improving Healthcare Safety by Supporting Measure Development (April 2025) (PDF, 1.6 MB): Measure development is a critical process for creating and refining metrics and indicators to assess aspects of healthcare quality, safety, effectiveness, and performance. From 2000 through 2024, ÂÜÀòÊÓƵsupported 192 patient safety projects related to measure development.
• Improving Healthcare Safety by Engaging Patients and Families (updated April 2025) (PDF, 1 MB): Research has shown that involving patients, families, and caregivers in the planning, delivery, and evaluation of care can improve safety and quality. Since 2000, ÂÜÀòÊÓƵhas supported 71 patient safety projects related to increasing patient and family engagement.
• Improving Healthcare Safety by Enhancing Healthcare Facility Design (updated April 2025) (PDF, 1 MB): Research has shown that optimizing the physical, functional, and aesthetic details of healthcare facilities (e.g., units, rooms, equipment, logistics, and technologies) can improve patient outcomes, reduce injuries and hospital-associated infections (HAIs), and increase provider satisfaction. Since 2000, ÂÜÀòÊÓƵhas supported 19 patient safety projects related to improving healthcare facility design.