Quality & Patient Safety

AHRQ issues final rule for Patient Safety Organizations

Patient Safety Monitor Alert, November 26, 2008

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The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) issued its final rule for Patient Safety Organizations (PSO) last week. The final rule provides some finality to the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005, which provided for the creation of PSOs. The PSOs are supposed to encourage hospitals to voluntarily submit data and other information to a PSO so that the industry as a whole will benefit. Those facilities who participate in a PSO are afforded some legal protections.

The final rule did not change much from the proposed rule issued in February. However, some additions were made, including the need for a PSO to inform its providers if the PSO inappropriately releases confidential patient safety work product (PSWP), and increased flexibility in how a PSO differentiates itself from its parent organization. Some changes include additions to the list of which organizations cannot become a PSO, and more flexibility of how PSOs can store PSWP.

The final rule will become effective January 19, 2009. Until then, the Interim Guidance issued by the AHRQ will serve as the effective rule. To read more, click here.



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