Unique patient safety authority enables sharing of lessons learned: Pennsylvania PSA reports on serious events collected

HealthCare Benchmarks and Quality Improvement, Jan, 2005

Schneider says he's proud to be part of the pilot phase, and while "we haven't seen any returns yet in how the system will help hospitals create a safe environment, I imagine they will be forthcoming."

Activity is promising

Combes takes up that theme from Schneider. "I think it's been very helpful," he asserts. "Since the reporting got up and running [in July 2004], they have received 50,000 reports. The hospitals are serious about getting information to them to analyze."

And if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Pennsylvania should be flattered indeed. "Other states are piloting [programs similar to the PSA] and trying to move into this area," Schneider notes. "Kansas might also be piloting an authority."

It's not an accident, adds Miranda, that this is happening in Pennsylvania. "We do consider ourselves fortunate--not only to be in this network, but in this state," she says. "I recently reported to our board on PHC4 data, and they were very pleased with it. I then asked my staff to look at each state to see what they were doing at a state level similar to PHC4. A little more than half the states around the country do have some level of statewide reporting of outcomes, but we have clearly been more active in addressing the data and in striving to get better every year."

Need More Information?

For more information, contact:

* John Combes, MD, Senior Medical Advisor, Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, 4750 Lindle Road, P.O. Box 8600, Harrisburg PA, 17105-8600. Phone: (717) 564-9200. Fax: (717) 561-5334. Web site: www.haponline.org.

* Zubina Mawji, MD, Acting Senior Vice President, Quality and Care Management, Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network, 1249 S. Cedar Crest Blvd., Lower Level, P.O. Box 689, Allentown, PA 18105. Phone: (610) 402-0825. Fax: (610) 402-0826.

* Fran Miranda, RN, Director of Risk Management, Patient Safety Officer, Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network, 1249 S. Cedar Crest Blvd., Lower Level, P.O. Box 689, Allentown, PA 18105. Phone: (610) 402-0825. Fax: (610) 402-0826.

* Doron Schneider, MD, Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine Residency, Abington Memorial Hospital, 1200 Old York Road, Abington, PA 19001. Phone: (215) 481-7312.