Energetic About Improving Quality (Other Voices) (Interview‪)‬

This year marks the 10-year anniversary of the Institute of Medicine' s seminal report "To Err is Human," and while considerable progress has been made in improving quality and safety, Carolyn Clancy says much more needs to be done. The head of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Clancy says clinicians and patients need better data--and need it more quickly. Beyond pushing the, quality agenda, Clancy is one of the most vocal supporters of comparative effectiveness research. She serves on a federal panel (www.hhs.gov /recovery /programs /CER /index.html) that is advising the president and Congress on how the government can build up its capabilities to do this type of work. She spoke with H&HN Senior Editor Matthew Weinstock. IF 'TO ERR IS HUMAN' WERE WRITTEN TODAY, HOW DIFFERENT WOULD IT BE?