The Patient Safety Act

The goal of the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 (the Patient Safety Act) is to encourage the expansion of voluntary, provider-driven initiatives to improve the safety and quality of patient care.  The Patient Safety Act:

• Encourages the development of Patient Safety Organizations (PSOs)—new organizations that can work with clinicians and health care organizations to identify, analyze, and reduce the risks and hazards associated with patient care.
• Provides uniform Federal privilege and confidentiality protections for patient safety work product, which includes patient-, provider-, and reporter-identifying information that is collected, created, or used for patient safety activities.
• Establishes civil money penalties that may be imposed for violations of patient safety work product confidentiality.

Agency Responsibilities

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) administers the provisions dealing with PSOs. This Web site will provide information on how organizations can become PSOs and the requirements they must meet.

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) administers the confidentiality enforcement program. For more information about OCR's role, the confidentiality protections and enforcement program, or for information about how to file a complaint, go to the OCR Web site.