The National Patient Safety Foundation was invited to participate in a recent Congressional briefing about patient safety and cancer care. Jointly sponsored by Rep. Ron Barber (D-AZ) and Ventana Medical Systems, the briefing, entitled “A Dialogue on Patient Safety and Cancer,” was designed to inform Congress and the public about particular patient safety issues in the cancer care arena.

Cancer services cover a wide range of activities, from health promotion and screenings to diagnosis, surgery, medical or radiotherapy, palliative care, and disease management. Likewise, the safety risks and opportunities for error are broad and far-reaching in consequence, and include adverse drug interactions, patient misidentification and cross-contamination of laboratory specimens. The risk of error grows with the introduction of new therapies and the advance of personalized medicine.

In written comments to his colleagues prior to the meeting, Rep. Barber said, “As Congress continues to address health issues, a concise overview of some of the key issues, challenges, and solutions related to cancer and patient safety should help guide the institution’s analysis, debate, and action.”

Patricia McGaffigan, RN, MS, interim president of NPSF, represented the Foundation’s commitment to supporting health systems in their efforts to improve safety in cancer care. She also recounted personal experience with the health care system that served to illustrate some of the very issues under discussion.

Joining Ms. McGaffigan on the expert panel were Mara Aspinall, president and CEO, Ventana Medical Systems, Inc., and global head, Roche Tissue Diagnostics; Maurie Markman, MD, senior vice president of clinical affairs and national director of medical oncology, Cancer Treatment Centers of America; and Eric Walk, MD, FCAP, senior vice president, medical and scientific affairs, Ventana Medical Systems.

Ms. McGaffigan also answered questions informally after the session. View the video below.

Part I

Part II

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