Data Collection and Reporting
One of the purposes of a PSO is the collection, analysis and reporting of patient safety data. A standardized patient safety system is an important mechanism for enhancing knowledge about the errors and their underlying causes.
Patient Safety
Evaluation System
(PSES)
One of the primary activities of PSOFlorida is to work with healthcare providers in a variety of settings with conducting patient safety activities. Providers develop and utilize patient safety evaluation systems, through which their patient safety work product can be analyzed and shared within their organizations under the confidentiality and privilege protections of the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act.
A patient safety evaluation system (PSES) is the collection, management, or analysis of safety-related information for reporting to or by a patient safety organization. A PSES includes all the ways in which a healthcare organization reports, investigates, documents, analyzes and communicates information about safety events and their efforts to improve safety.
- Quality and safety committees, discussions,
minutes, actions. - Root cause analyses and event investigations.
- Peer review activities.
- Safety huddles and debriefs.
- Hallway conversations, emails, and any
meetings related to patient safety events and
quality improvement. - Quality report cards and score cards.
- Incident reports, reporting systems and
reporting solutions.
An effective PSES is intended to provide a safe space for healthcare institutions to examine event reports, RCAs, and various other quality review functions to improve their patient safety practices without fear of litigation. A PSES for an organization can be outlined and defined by its policies and procedures.
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Patient Safety Work Product
Patient safety work
product (PSWP) includes any data, reports, records, memoranda, analyses (such as root cause analyses), reviews, investigations, or written or oral statements (or copies of any of this material) that:
- Could improve patient safety, health care quality, or health care
outcomes. - Are assembled or developed by a provider for reporting to a
patient safety organization (PSO) and are reported to a PSO,
which includes:- Information that is documented within a patient safety
evaluation system for reporting to a PSO, and - Such documentation includes the date the information
entered the patient safety evaluation system; or - Are developed by a PSO for the conduct of patient safety
activities.
- Information that is documented within a patient safety
product does not include:
- A patient’s medical record.
- Billing and discharge information.
- Any other original source of patient or provider
information.
The patient safety and quality improvement act permits providers to undertake deliberations and analyses of patient safety-related events at their facilities.
These deliberations and analyses become protected immediately from legal discovery as patient safety work product only if these activities are conducted within the provider’s patient safety evaluation system.