To celebrate World Patient Safety Day’s 2025 theme “Safe care for every child and for every newborn” we have invited a group of exceptional clinicians and researchers in the field to talk about their research and broader topics relevant to this year’s theme.

In this blog we’re talking to Dr. Lori Rutman, Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine and Attending Physician in the Emergency Department at Seattle Children’s Hospital.

Can you tell us a bit about your background and what led you to work in this area?

I’ve always been drawn to working with children and to finding ways to make healthcare systems better. I went to medical school at Stanford, earned my MPH at UC Berkeley, and completed my pediatric residency at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford. During my fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine at the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s, I saw how small, thoughtful changes in processes could make a huge difference for patients and families. This realization – combined with my passion for evidence-based practice and patient safety – sparked my commitment to quality improvement science, which has become a central focus of my career.

You’ve conducted a lot of fascinating quality improvement work in paediatric emergency medicine. Can you share something you’re particularly proud of, and what you’re focused on now?

I’m proud to have led and contributed to numerous projects that improved patient care on both local and national levels. At Seattle Children’s, I helped develop, implement and study evidence-based clinical pathways for conditions such as sepsis, asthma, pneumonia, and gastroenteritis – resulting in measurable gains in efficiency, antimicrobial stewardship, and clinical outcomes. Nationally, I co-chaired the research workgroup for the Children’s Hospital Association’s Improving Pediatric Sepsis Outcomes collaborative, which engaged more than 50 US-based hospitals in efforts to reduce sepsis-related mortality. Right now, I’m especially focused on advancing equity in quality improvement – making sure the improvements we make in care delivery truly benefit all children. I’m also mentoring future pediatric quality leaders through the Seattle Children’s Quality Improvement Scholars Program, which is incredibly energizing.

In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges that prevent the delivery of safe care in newborns and children?

Pediatric emergency care moves fast, and that can make early recognition of serious illness challenging. Add in system-level barriers – like gaps in communication, variations in care from one provider or hospital to another, and health disparities tied to race, ethnicity, or language – and it becomes clear how easily safety can be compromised. Addressing these issues requires reliable systems, standardized approaches, and a focus on equity.

What do you think is going to make the biggest difference in the field in the next 10 years?

I think the game-changer will be harnessing real-time data and predictive analytics to spot risks earlier and guide care more precisely. We’re also learning how powerful it can be to share data and lessons across hospitals through collaborative networks. If we pair those tools with an intentional commitment to equity, we’ll not only improve care, we’ll make sure those improvements reach every child who needs them.

In one sentence, what message would you like readers of the blog to take away?

Better care for kids happens when we combine great science, teamwork, and equity – because every child deserves the best possible outcome.