SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005, 42 U.S.C. 299b-21 to 299b-26 (Patient Safety Act), and the related Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Final Rule, 42 CFR part 3 (Patient Safety Rule), published in the Federal Register on November 21, 2008, 73 FR 70731-70814, provide for the Federal listing of Patient Safety Organizations (PSOs), which collect, aggregate, and analyze confidential information (patient safety ( printed page 52781) work product) regarding the quality and safety of health care delivery.

The Patient Safety Act requires PSOs, to the extent practical and appropriate, to collect patient safety work product from providers in a standardized manner that permits valid comparisons of similar cases among similar providers. (42 U.S.C. 299b-24(b)(1)(F)). The Patient Safety Act also authorizes the development of data standards, known as the Common Formats, to facilitate the aggregation and analysis of non-identifiable patient safety data collected by PSOs and reported to the network of patient safety databases (NPSD). (42 U.S.C. 299b-23(b)). The Patient Safety Act and Patient Safety Rule can be accessed at: http://www.pso.ahrq.gov/​legislation/​.

AHRQ has issued Common Formats for Event Reporting (CFER) for three settings of care—hospitals, nursing homes, and community pharmacies. AHRQ has also issued Common Formats for Event Reporting—Diagnostic Safety (CFER-DS) designed for use in all healthcare settings.

Federally listed PSOs can meet the requirement to collect patient safety work product in a standardized manner to the extent practical and appropriate by using AHRQ's Common Formats. The Common Formats are also available in the public domain to encourage their widespread adoption. An entity does not need to be listed as a PSO or working with one to use the Common Formats. However, the Federal privilege and confidentiality protections only apply to information developed as patient safety work product by providers and PSOs working under the Patient Safety Act.

Agenda, Registration, and Other Information About the Meeting

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) will be hosting this fully virtual meeting to discuss implementation of the Common Formats with members of the public, including software developers and other interested parties. The agenda will include discussion on ways to improve the portion of the PSO Privacy Protection Center's website for Software Developers and Vendors: https://www.psoppc.org/​psoppc_​web/​publicpages/​forDevelopersAndVendors. Active participation and discussion by meeting participants is encouraged.

AHRQ requests that interested persons send an email to SDMeetings@infinityconferences.com for registration information. Before the meeting, an agenda and logistical information will be provided to registrants.

87 FR 52780