Getting Ready for Patient Safety Data Reporting

Healthcare to Face Information-Sharing Challenges under HHS Proposal To Report Quality Data

Contact
Dennis Melamed
703.704.5665
dmelamed@melamedia.com

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Healthcare organizations and researchers will face more complicated rules in managing patient information in the wake of HHS' recent rulemaking to create a system for reporting medical errors. The 81,000-word proposal to implement the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act attempts to establish the rules of the road for Patient Safety Organizations, while at the same balancing requirements to protect the confidentiality of healthcare providers.

By necessity, these rules come on top of safeguarding protected health information under HIPAA.

To be sure Feb. 12 proposal is likely to change. But given the complexity of the program, healthcare organizations would be prudent to start examining where and how they can start accommodating the new patient safety initiative.

HHS officials and health data experts alike expect all organizations to face challenges in understanding the requirements and training their staffs, colleagues and contractors - particularly as they interact with HIPAA.

To help healthcare organizations understand and get ready for the new requirements and policies for managing both physician and patient confidentiality, Health Information Privacy/Security Alert is sponsoring

Getting Ready for Patient Safety Data Reporting

• An overview of the goals of the law and proposed regulation;
• Analysis of the definitions used in the proposed regulations;
• What qualifies for special protection as Patient Safety Work Product;
• How privileges and confidentiality protections apply to Patient Safety Work Product;
• How HIPAA interacts with the Patient Safety Act proposed rule
• New requirements for data security;
• The requirements for anonymizing healthcare;
• How HHS intends to enforce the new regulation;
• How organizations may use their existing peer review practices to create a framework for complying with the new rules; and
• Expert insight into problems and pitfalls with the proposed regulations, including where HHS is likely to change its proposal in the final rule.

• Privacy Officers
• Security Officers
• Business Associates
• Healthcare Providers
• QIO Executives
• Peer Review Officials
• Healthcare Quality Professionals
• Research Administrators
• Public Health Officials
• Healthcare Association Executives
• Accreditation Professionals
• Healthcare Insurers
• HIM Professionals
• EHR Professionals
• Biomedical Product Manufacturers
• Healthcare Attorneys
• Healthcare Consultants

Alex. Brittin, JD. is an attorney in private practice representing a variety of healthcare companies with contractual and privacy related matters. His practice specializes on healthcare and government contract counseling and litigation. He has lectured extensively and written several books on healthcare privacy and security.

Dennis Melamed is Editor/Publisher of Health Information Privacy/Security Alert and Drug & Biologic Guidance Watch and an Adjunct Professor in the Drexel College of Medicine.