PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA—ECRI Institute, an independent nonprofit that researches the best approaches to improving patient care, will bring key experts together March 31, 2008, for a free one-hour audio conference on the proposed rule to establish Patient Safety Organizations (PSOs). Representatives from the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and other leading risk management experts will discuss the new federal regulations proposed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The proposed rule establishes a framework for hospitals, doctors, and other healthcare providers to voluntarily report patient safety information to PSOs for privileged and confidential analysis. ECRI Institute’s upcoming audio conference, Patient Safety Organization (PSO) Regulations: What Healthcare Providers Need to Know, to be held from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. EDT, on Monday, March 31, will examine the details involved with this rule and provide information to help healthcare systems understand what steps they need to take now.  

Key areas to be discussed:

• Overview of the proposed PSO regulations
• What factors should your healthcare organization consider in deciding whether to participate with a PSO?
• How would PSO participation affect your organization's current operations?
• What should you look for in a PSO? 

Expert speakers:

• Amy Goldberg-Alberts, Senior Risk Management Analyst, ECRI Institute, Moderator
• William B. Munier, M.D., Director, Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety, AHRQ
• Larry T. Patton, formerly senior advisor to the AHRQ Director
• Peggy B. Martin, ARM, MEd, DFASHRM, CPHRM, President, Lifespan Risk Services
• Theresa Zimmerman , RN, JD, CPHRM, FASHRM, Patient Safety Officer, Northeast Division of Catholic Healthcare Partners; Board Member, American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM)

Participation in this program is free but limited to the first 200 registrants; advance registration is required. Because of space limitations, ECRI Institute is asking healthcare organizations to reserve only one phone line per facility. For those who are unable to attend the live program, the conference recording and materials will be posted to ECRI Institute’s Patient Safety Organization Web site after the event.

ECRI Institute anticipates becoming a federally certified PSO and is reviewing the proposed rule. Comments on the proposed rule are being submitted to the Department of Health and Human Services and will also be published at www.ecri.org/pso. 

To register for the March 31 audio conference, or to learn more about the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act Proposed Rule, please visit www.ecri.org/pso. Or, contact ECRI Institute by telephone at (610) 825-6000, ext. 5310; by E-mail at communications@ecri.org; by fax at (610) 834-1275; or by mail at 5200 Butler Pike, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462-1298, USA. 

ECRI Institute, a nonprofit organization, dedicates itself to bringing the discipline of applied scientific research to healthcare to uncover the best approaches to improving patient care. For nearly 40 years, ECRI Institute has operated a voluntary medical device problem reporting system used by hospitals and other providers around the world. ECRI Institute operates other broad patient safety reporting and analysis systems for public and private entities, including developing and managing the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Reporting System, a mandatory error and near-miss reporting program for Pennsylvania hospitals and other healthcare facilities, under contract to the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority. ECRI Institute has a long history of investigating events and publishing authoritative risk reduction strategies. ECRI Institute is designated a Collaborating Center for Patient Safety, Risk Management, and Healthcare Technology by the World Health Organization and an Evidence-based Practice Center by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. For more information, please visit www.ecri.org. 

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For more information, contact:
Laurie D. Menyo
lmenyo@ecri.org
+1 (610) 825-6000, ext.  5310