Patient Safety Organization Initiative

Until recently, patient safety reporting mechanisms have been challenged by an inability to aggregate data on a large scale for improvement analysis and information sharing in a protected environment. In addition, providers often fear malpractice litigation and face inadequate protection by state laws when reporting adverse events. Patient Safety Organizations address these concerns by enabling clinicians and health care organizations to voluntarily report, share and compare data on patient safety events using common reporting formats, in a secure and private platform that is protected from legal discovery.

The Texas Hospital Association and Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council are collaborating to create and certify a statewide PSO as a separate, stand-alone entity to begin operations in early 2010. To launch the PSO, a minimum of 40 hospitals must commit to participate as ‘charter’ hospitals.

If improving health care quality and safety is your hospital's goal, consider joining this important initiative!

Learn More

Recording of audioconference call Oct. 8, 2009
Presentation: "Patient Safety Organization: Why You Can't Afford NOT to Participate!"
PSO fact sheet (PDF)
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality PSO Web site
AHRQ Common Formats

Contact

Starr West, Texas Hospital Association, 512/465-1042 or swest@tha.org

Kristin Jenkins, Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council, 972/719-4900 or kjenkins@dfwhc.org.