We hope this page provides information that helps make your visit to the NIH Clinical Center as smooth as possible. Visit Welcome to Our Patients and Their Visitors for additional useful information.
A toll-free ANONYMOUS telephone hotline is available for staff, patients, and visitors to report safety concerns to the NIH Clinical Center leadership. Information reported via the hotline will be forwarded anonymously to NIH Clinical Center Office of Patient Safety and Clinical Quality for triage, analysis, action and organizational improvement and learning.
The number of the anonymous hotline is: 1-866-444-8811.
If you have questions about this reporting tool or about patient safety and clinical quality at the NIH Clinical Center, please contact Dr. David Lang, Chief, Office of Patient Safety and Clinical Quality, at 301-496-8025.
The Office of Human Subjects Research Protections carries out the day-to-day operations and regulatory oversight of human research activities within the Human Research Protections Program. The OHSRP promotes the protection of rights, safety and welfare of human subjects, and the NIH's research mandate.
Learn more about Legal, Ethical, and Safety Issues such as informed consent, your safety, your rights and responsibilities, your privacy and more.
Our Commitment
Every NIH Clinical Center patient has the right to express concerns or complaints. The Clinical Center aims to make their hospital experience safe and comfortable. Hospital policy ensures that complaints from patients, family members, Legally Authorized Representatives (LAR) and visitors are taken seriously and resolved promptly.
What is a Complaint?
A complaint is when a patient verbally or in writing expresses dissatisfaction with the care or services received at the CC. Staff can handle it immediately where it occurs. Most complaints are simple, can be quickly resolved, and are considered settled once the patient is satisfied with the response.
What is a Grievance?
A grievance is a formal or informal complaint made by a patient when they feel their issue wasn’t resolved promptly by staff. It covers concerns about care or services at the CC and includes any claims of abuse or neglect.
Resolving Issues
Clinical Center staff must address patient complaints quickly, and on the spot, whenever possible. If a staff member can't resolve a complaint immediately, they will report it to their manager or supervisor. If further help is needed, the Patient Representative will be notified, and staff should keep trying to resolve the issue. If the patient feels their complaint is still unresolved, the patient will be told how to submit a formal grievance.
What are the Next Steps?
The patient will be contacted within 1 business day, if possible. They will receive the name and contact details of the person handling their grievance. The Patient Representative will inform the patient how long it will take to resolve the issue, usually less than 30 days.
The response, given verbally or in writing, will include the review steps, results, and completion date, as appropriate. It will be in the patient's preferred language. Some details, like confidential information or personnel actions, won't be shared with the patient.
A grievance is resolved when the CC has taken reasonable steps to address it. The CC will try to ensure the patient is satisfied but acknowledges that some patients may still be dissatisfied.
The Patient Representative serves as a link between the patient and the hospital. You may reach the Patient Representative at 301-496-2626.
Learn more about the Patient Representative.
Do you have a patient safety concern/complaint about a health care organization?
You can submit concerns about a health care organization through the Joint Commission's online submission form as it allows for more direct, timely receipt and review of your concerns.
The mission of The Joint Commission is to continuously improve health care for the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating health care organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value.
Everyone has a role in making health care safe—physicians, nurses, health care executives, and technicians.
You, as the patient and a partner in clinical research, play a vital role in making the care you receive safe. You must be an active, informed, and vocal member of your health care team
Learn more about how to Speak Up for Your Safety (en español).