Institute for the Study of Human Error

The Institute for the Study of Human Error (ISHE) was a specialized healthcare consulting and research organization based in Bethesda, Maryland. Founded and led by Dr. Marilyn Sue Bogner, a prominent psychologist and human factors expert, the institute focused on the systemic causes of medical errors and the enhancement of patient safety. ISHE provided expertise in analyzing the interaction between healthcare providers and their environments, advocating for a "systems approach" to identify error-provoking factors rather than assigning individual blame. The organization was instrumental in shaping national dialogues on medical error, contributing to seminal works such as the Institute of Medicine's reports and Dr. Bogner's influential book, "Human Error in Medicine." Following the death of Dr. Bogner in 2016, the institute is no longer active.