The annual report highlights risks tied to emerging technologies, access barriers, and workforce challenges that can contribute to preventable harm.
Balancing the potential benefits and risks of artificial intelligence (AI) in clinical diagnosis is the top patient safety concern for 2026, according to the annual Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns report from ECRI.
As more healthcare organizations rely on AI tools to interpret symptoms and clinical data, the report points to both potential benefits and risks. Some AI technologies may improve diagnostic speed and accuracy; however, using AI diagnostic systems without strong safeguards and clinical oversight can increase the risk of missed, delayed, or incorrect diagnoses. AI models are only as reliable as the algorithms that power them and the data on which they are trained, which can include gaps or biases that may worsen health disparities.
Other safety concerns in the report reflect broader systemic challenges. Reduced access to healthcare in rural communities continues to place patients at risk, as financial pressures have led to hospital closures and diminished essential services in remote areas. Without access to care, rural patients are at higher risk for delayed diagnosis and treatment and worse health outcomes. Rising rates of preventable acute diseases also signal underlying gaps in vaccination coverage, infection prevention, and efforts to address misinformation. Diseases that were once controlled are resurging in some communities, straining healthcare systems and disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations, according to a release from ECRI.
“Rural communities are losing access to essential healthcare services. At the same time, falling vaccination rates are driving a troubling rise in preventable diseases. Vaccines are foundational to patient safety, and we are seeing decades of hard-won progress in public health erode in the fight against diseases like measles and whooping cough,” says Marcus Schabacker, MD, PhD, president and chief executive officer of ECRI, in a release. “Now more than ever healthcare leaders must be proactive and creative to tackle these challenges.”
Additional Patient Safety Challenges
The report also highlights how organizational culture and workforce turnover contribute to safety risks. It points to persistent staffing shortages and a culture of blame among healthcare workers that can discourage reporting of safety concerns or incidents, limiting opportunities for improvement.
“When frontline clinicians do not feel psychologically safe reporting concerns, early warning signs of risk can be overlooked. Building resilient teams and fostering a workplace culture that encourages transparency and continuous learning are essential to reducing preventable harm,” says Dheerendra Kommala, MD, chief medical officer at ECRI, in a release.
The 2026 Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns are:
- Navigating the AI Diagnostic Dilemma
- Reduced Access to Rural Healthcare
- Increasing Rates of Preventable Acute Diseases
- Federal Funding Cuts Hinder Healthcare Operations and Safety
- Lack of Recognition and Reporting of Harm Events
- Inadequate Pain Management for Women
- Persistent Workforce Shortages
- Culture of Blame Hinders Learning and Improvement
- Emergency Department Boarding
- Gaps in Manufacturer Packaging and Labeling Undermine Medication Safety
The report includes recommended steps for healthcare organizations to reduce risk and improve patient safety.
ECRI and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices analyzed scientific literature, patient safety events, and internal and external data sources to identify the most pressing safety concerns.
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