The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a final rule for patient safety organizations (PSOs), which is now available on the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) PSO Web site. The rule becomes effective on January 19, 2009, and provides final requirements and procedures for PSOs—new entities with which clinicians and healthcare providers can work to collect, aggregate, and analyze data within a legally secure environment of privilege and confidentiality protections to identify and reduce patient care risks and hazards. As outlined in the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005, AHRQ administers provisions governing PSO operations, and HHS’s Office for Civil Rights enforces the confidentiality provisions of the act. Under interim guidance issued on October 8, AHRQ listed 15 PSOs that will maintain their status as PSOs during the remainder of the interim period and will be required to comply with the final rule when it takes effect. More information can be found in AHRQ’s press release and the November 21 Federal Register notice.
