Federal Laws Related to Patient Safety

Federal Laws Related to Patient Safety

The Patient Safety Improvement Act of 2016 bill was drawn to address Healthcare Acquired Infections (HAIs) by improving antibiotic stewardship through enhanced data collection and reporting. The frequency of HAIs reported to the National Healthcare Safety Network at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (Howard et al., 2016). The legislation was aimed to improve communication and transparency by requiring hospitals to report HAIs to healthcare providers involved in a patient’s post-hospital care not more than 24 hours after a diagnosis.

The Act has since created Patient Safety Organizations (PSOs) that collect, calculate and analyze the confidential information reported by healthcare providers (Howard et al., 2016). These organizations have helped increase the transparency of the healthcare system. Transparency on how treatment decisions are made, the cost of health care, and when and why there could be errors and unexpected outcomes of the care provided. Transparency is hoped to boost the quality and effectiveness of care.

The efforts in transparency reporting have been hindered by the fear of discovery of peer deliberations, subsequently resulting in under-reporting of events. Electronic Health Record (EHR) is a technology that has helped in transparency (Kachalia et al., 2016). The EHRs compile and maintain all patient health information that reduces miscommunication. There is also an electronic perception of medication. Perceptions are sent directly to the pharmacy electronically. The EHRs also increase patient information access and enhances patient-centered care.

One challenge of using EHRs is their implementation by medical staff. Health practitioners lack awareness of EHRs’ benefits and improvements (Mitchell et al., 2015). However, with the medical staff’s training, explaining the effectiveness and efficiency that EHRs contribute to the treatment of their patients, they can, in return, see the benefits EHRs bring.

References

Howard, J., Levy, F., Mareiniss, D. P., Patch, M., Craven, C. K., McCarthy, M., Epstein- Peterson, Z. D., Wong, V., & Pronovost, P. (2016). New legal protections for reporting patient errors under the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act. Journal of Patient Safety, 6(3), 147-152. https://doi.org/10.1097/pts.0b013e3181ed623a

Kachalia, A., Mello, M. M., Nallamothu, B. K., & Studdert, D. M. (2016). Legal and policy interventions to improve patient safety. Circulation, 133(7), 661- https://doi.org/10.1161/circulationaha.115.015880

Mitchell, I., Schuster, A., Smith, K., Pronovost, P., & Wu, A. (2015). Patient safety incident reporting: A qualitative study of thoughts and perceptions of experts 15 years after ‘To err is human.’ BMJ Quality & Safety, 25(2), 92 https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjqs–2015–004405

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Select a state or federal law or regulation related to patient safety that has been implemented within the last five years requiring hospitals or any other healthcare organizations to change the way they manage the delivery of care. Discuss the changes that have occurred because of this law or regulation.

Federal Laws Related to Patient Safety

Additionally, discuss the technology associated with either your selected law/regulation or a similar one. Are there ethical dilemmas that have resulted from technology changes when delivering care to patients or patient safety? Explain the dilemmas and how they might be resolved.