Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality

Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality
Name	Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality
Established	2011
Type	Research and Clinical Institute
Location	Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Director	Amy C. Edmondson (example)
Affiliations	Johns Hopkins University; Johns Hopkins Medicine

Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality The Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality is a multidisciplinary center located at Johns Hopkins Hospital that focuses on improving patient safety, health care quality, and clinical reliability through research, education, and operational collaboration. It collaborates with academic centers, health systems, and regulatory agencies to translate implementation science into practice across hospitals, clinics, and community health settings. The institute engages leaders, clinicians, and policymakers to reduce harm, optimize care processes, and disseminate best practices nationally and internationally.

History

The institute was founded amid broader health care reform efforts and safety movements inspired by events such as the Institute of Medicine report and initiatives from World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Its development followed partnerships with Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and collaborations with stakeholders including American Medical Association, American Nurses Association, Joint Commission, and National Quality Forum. Over time, the institute has engaged in programs linked with Veterans Health Administration, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, National Institutes of Health, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to expand patient safety and quality science.

Mission and Goals

The institute’s mission aligns with priorities from World Health Organization patient safety campaigns, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement framework, and quality standards promoted by National Committee for Quality Assurance and Leapfrog Group. Key goals mirror initiatives from Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to reduce adverse events, improve clinical outcomes, and foster resilient care teams. Strategic aims reflect competencies emphasized by Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, American Board of Internal Medicine, and American College of Physicians regarding safety culture, measurement, and systems-based practice.

Organizational Structure and Leadership

Leadership has been drawn from faculty affiliated with Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins Medicine, and partner institutions including Massachusetts General Hospital, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, and Brigham and Women's Hospital. Governance integrates expertise from directors with backgrounds linked to Harvard Medical School, Yale School of Medicine, Stanford Medicine, and University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. The institute’s administrative model echoes organizational frameworks used by Kaiser Permanente, Mayo Clinic Health System, and Geisinger Health System, and engages advisory boards with representatives from American Hospital Association, Association of American Medical Colleges, and CommonSpirit Health.

Programs and Initiatives

Programs address clinical reliability, patient safety research, implementation science, and quality improvement using methods established by Lean (business), Six Sigma, and Human Factors and Ergonomics Society practices adapted for health care settings such as Mount Sinai Health System and UCSF Medical Center. Initiatives include translational projects with Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, collaborations with Boston Children's Hospital, and multicenter studies shared with networks like Society of Critical Care Medicine and American Society of Anesthesiologists. The institute runs safety campaigns paralleling efforts by Safe Care Campaign, Surgical Care Improvement Project, and WHO Surgical Safety Checklist implementation efforts in partnership with World Bank health programs.

Research and Publications

Research output integrates epidemiology, implementation science, and systems engineering, building on scholarship from The Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, and specialty journals such as Annals of Internal Medicine and BMJ Quality & Safety. Investigations have been supported by grants from National Institutes of Health, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and philanthropic partners including Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Johns Hopkins University endowments. Collaborations with researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, University of Michigan Medical School, Duke University School of Medicine, and University of California, San Diego produce studies on adverse event reduction, medication safety, and diagnostic error.

Education and Training

Educational offerings include interprofessional curricula influenced by standards from Association of American Medical Colleges, simulation programs similar to those at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, and fellowship models akin to those at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Training engages learners from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, and global trainees through exchanges with World Health Organization and Pan American Health Organization. Programs have drawn on pedagogic techniques championed by Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and assessment frameworks endorsed by Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education.

Impact and Recognition

The institute’s impact is reflected in measurable reductions in hospital-acquired infections and adverse events, contributions to policy discussions at Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Joint Commission, and recognition by organizations such as National Quality Forum and Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Outcomes have influenced practice at partner systems including Veterans Health Administration, Kaiser Permanente, and international ministries of health, and its leaders have been invited to present at forums like World Health Assembly, American Public Health Association, and Society of Hospital Medicine meetings. Peer-reviewed publications and implementation toolkits have been cited across institutions such as Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Johns Hopkins Medicine, and Harvard Business School case studies.

Category:Johns Hopkins University