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PATIENT SAFETY ORGANIZATION (PSO)

PSO is an entity certified by the Secretary of Health and Human Services through AHRQ to work with providers under the protections of the Patient Safety Act. The University has contracted, on behalf of each University health care provider, for the delivery of Patient Safety Work Product (PSWP) and the conduct of Patient Safety Activities with CHPSO. Additional PSOs may be contracted with as UCOP and/or UC Health Systems consider appropriate.

Event reporting data is downloaded to Next Plane, CHPSO's data partner, and mapped to the “Common Formats” for aggregation and analysis. CHPSO collaborates with Next Plane Solutions to analyze events and provide educational resources. “Common Formats” are standardized reporting formats, using common language and definitions that AHRQ developed allowing health care providers to collect and submit standardized information regarding patient safety events. The use of Common Formats allow for aggregation of comparable data at local, PSO, regional, and national levels.

Benefits:

  • Patient Safety Work Product is privileged from discovery and admissibility into evidence in all state and federal proceedings
  • Collaborate and problem solve with other providers
  • Annual hospital report
  • Safe table meetings
  • Custom research requests
  • Event feedback and consultation
  • Educational webinars
  • Alerts and bi-monthly newsletters
  • Legal counsel discussion group

Patient Safety Evaluation System (PSES)

The PSES includes the collection, management and/or analysis of Patient Safety Concern information recorded in the University Event Reporting System (ERS) for reporting to a PSO. It includes information documented in the ERS and also deliberation and analysis of a Patient Safety Concern. The University of California has developed a systemwide policy covering this topic. Review the policy here (pdf).

A Patient Safety Concern includes:

  • A patient safety event that reached the patient, whether or not there was harm;
  • A near miss or close call - a patient safety event that did not reach the patient; or
  • An unsafe condition - circumstances that increase the probability of a patient safety event.

Patient Safety Work Product (PSWP)

Patient Safety Work Product is defined as any data, reports, records, memoranda, analyses or written or oral statements that are assembled or developed by a provider for reporting to a PSO; are reported to a PSO; are developed by the PSO for patient safety activities; or identify or constitutes deliberations or constitute information reported through a patient safety evaluation system.