The Institute of Medicine's (IOM) 1999 publication To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System illuminated the unfortunate reality of medical errors in the healthcare industry. The report reviewed the prevalence of medical errors in the United States and highlighted measures that should be taken to prevent them. Specifically, the authors of the report noted that at least 44,000 and perhaps as many as 98,000 Americans were dying in hospitals each year as a result of medical errors. As a result of an increase in medical error incidents, the Florida Legislature mandates that all healthcare professionals and those working as members of an extended healthcare team in Florida complete a two-hour course on the topic of prevention of medical errors. This continuing education course is designed to satisfy the requirements of the Florida law and provide all licensed behavioral and mental health professionals with information regarding the root cause analysis process, error reduction and prevention, and patient safety.

The purpose of this course is to satisfy the requirement of the Florida law and provide all licensed mental health professionals with information regarding the root cause analysis process, error reduction and prevention, and patient safety.