Common Formats

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Common Formats

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) coordinates the development of Common Formats for event reporting to Patient Safety Organizations (PSOs). This activity is authorized by the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 (Patient Safety Act) and the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Final Rule (Patient Safety Rule).

The Common Formats optimize the opportunity for the public and private sectors to learn more about trends and patterns in patient safety and to identify risks and hazards to patients, with the purpose of improving health care quality and safety. The Common Formats facilitate the ability of health care providers to participate in such efforts and set the stage for breakthroughs in understanding how best to improve patient safety.

Last year, AHRQ released the initial version—Version 0.1 Beta—of the Common Formats. This version has now been replaced by Version 1.0, as announced in the Federal Register. To view the notice announcing the release of Common Formats Version 1.0, go to http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-21080.htm (PDF file; PDF Help).

What Are Common Formats?

The term "Common Formats" refers to the common definitions and reporting formats, specified by AHRQ, that allow health care providers to collect and submit standardized information regarding patient safety events. The Common Formats apply to all patient safety concerns, including:

Incidents—patient safety events that reached the patient, whether or not there was harm;
Near misses or close calls—patient safety events that did not reach the patient; and
Unsafe conditions—circumstances that increase the probability of a patient safety event.

AHRQ's Common Formats include:

Descriptions of patient safety events and unsafe conditions to be reported (event descriptions),
Delineation of data elements to be collected for different types of events (paper forms),
Specifications for patient safety population reports,
Technical specifications for electronic data collection and reporting, and
A users guide.

Common Formats Version 1.0 is currently limited to patient safety reporting for acute care hospitals and is designed to support the first stage in the improvement cycle. Version 1.0 includes two general types of formats, generic and event-specific. The generic Common Formats pertain to all patient safety concerns. The three generic formats are: Healthcare Event Reporting Form, Patient Information Form, and Summary of Initial Report. The event-specific Common Formats pertain to frequently occurring and/or serious patient safety events. The eight event-specific formats are:

Blood or Blood Product
Device or Medical/Surgical Supply
Fall
Healthcare-Associated Infection
Medication or Other Substance
Perinatal
Pressure Ulcer
Surgery or Anesthesia

Future versions of the Common Formats will be developed for other settings, such as nursing homes, ambulatory surgery centers, and physician and practitioner offices.

PSO Common Formats logo

The "AHRQ Common Formats" logo may be displayed by any organization that is using the Common Formats developed by AHRQ. Please note that an entity does not need to be listed as a PSO to employ the Common Formats and thus display the logo. The formats are available in the public domain to facilitate their wide-spread adoption and implementation. Entities who display the logo should use the Common Formats as a whole; however, entities that have a limited focus may use the Common Formats that pertain only to that area.

How Did AHRQ Develop the Common Formats?

AHRQ convened an interagency Federal Patient Safety Work Group (PSWG) to assist AHRQ with developing and maintaining the Common Formats. The PSWG includes major health agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)— Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Food and Drug Administration, Health Resources and Services Administration, Indian Health Service (IHS), National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, Office of Public Health and Science, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration—as well as Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

AHRQ reviewed existing patient safety event reporting systems from a variety of health care organizations (select for list). Subsequently, AHRQ, in conjunction with the PSWG, developed, piloted, and released Version 0.1 Beta of the Common Formats on August 29, 2008.

Through a contract with AHRQ, the National Quality Forum (NQF) solicited feedback on the Common Formats from private sector organizations and individuals. The NQF, a nonprofit organization that focuses on health care quality, then convened an expert panel to review the comments received and provide feedback to AHRQ. Based upon the expert panel's feedback, AHRQ, in conjunction with the PSWG, further revised and refined the Common Formats. These revised formats are now available as Version 1.0.

How Will the Data Be Used?

The Patient Safety Act and the Patient Safety Rule authorize the creation of a Network of Patient Safety Databases (NPSD), to which PSOs, health care providers, and others can voluntarily contribute nonidentifiable patient safety work product. The NPSD will be maintained as an interactive, evidence-based management resource for health care providers, PSOs, researchers, and other individuals and organizations. AHRQ will use data from the NPSD to analyze national and regional statistics, including trends and patterns, regarding patient safety events. Findings are to be made public and included in AHRQ's annual National Healthcare Quality Report.

How Will AHRQ Continue To Refine the Common Formats?

AHRQ is committed to continuing refinement of the Common Formats. The Agency is specifically interested in obtaining feedback from both the private and public sectors—particularly from those who use the Common Formats—to guide their improvement.

Where Can I Find the Common Formats?

The Common Formats Version 1.0, as well as accompanying user information, are available on the PSO Privacy Protection Center (PPC) Web site as printable electronic files.

AHRQ plans to maintain additional information on the Common Formats, including technical specifications, data element definitions, and vendor specifications, at The United States Health Information Knowledgebase (USHIK).

For information about the initial release of Common Formats Version 0.1 Beta, go to http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E8-19910.htm (PDF file; PDF Help).

How Can I Comment on the Common Formats?

To provide feedback on the Common Formats, go to the National Quality Forum (NQF) Web site for Common Formats.