Patient Safety Organization regulations finally finalized

PSO regulations under the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 have finally wended their way through interminable process and have made it to publication as final regulations in today's Federal Register, effective January 19, 2009.

The introductory commentary on the rule explains that it

AHRQ explains further:

The integration of state peer review protections, HIPAA protections and PSO confidentiality rules will serve to close some gaps that existed in the patchwork system we have had to date.

All in all, this is a welcome step forward for the further development of evidence-based medicine, taking into account details of negative outcomes and using those outcomes as learning opportunities for the system as a whole without exposing individual providers to additional potential liabilities.  Through the improved protections, these regulatory changes will enable provider organizations to realize more fully the patient care improvement promise of EHRs as well.

David Harlow
The Harlow Group LLC
Health Care Law and Consulting