(AHRQ: Rockville, Maryland) -- The Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act (Patient Safety Act) authorized the creation of patient safety organizations (PSOs) to improve safety through the collection and analysis of data on patient safety events. By providing privilege and confidentiality, PSOs will create a secure environment where clinicians and health care organizations can voluntarily collect, aggregate, and analyze data that enable the identification and reduction of the risks and hazards associated with patient care.

The interim guidance allows the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to begin receiving applications from qualified entities that wish to become PSOs. This guidance will remain effective until HHS issues a final rule for PSOs, which will then supersede the interim guidance. A final rule is expected to be released by the end of 2008.

“We know that clinicians and health care organizations are anxious to begin these important new patient safety improvement efforts under the Patient Safety Act,” says AHRQ director, Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D. “As we move expeditiously toward a final rule, this interim guidance will help organizations interested in applying now to become patient safety organizations to undertake work that will improve the quality of America’s health care.”

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