In honor of National Patient Safety Awareness Week, ECRI Institute is offering a free Risk Analysis publication on improving communication and preventing breakdowns that can adversely affect patient safety in the health care setting.

According to The Joint Commission, communication is cited as a root cause in nearly 70% of reported sentinel events, surpassing other commonly identified issues such as staff orientation and training, patient assessment, and staffing.

Healthcare Risk Control System will help health care professionals review their communication strategies and comply with relevant Joint Commission standards. The publication also provides information on resources and toolkits to assist risk managers in enhancing communications and reducing risk.

The publication is available for free download until March 13 from ECRI's Patient Safety Center Web site.