Hospitals Implementing CRPs Hesitant to Offer Compensation, Study Finds

Hospitals participating in the implementation of a communication-and-resolution program (CRP) improved the disclosure and surveillance of adverse events but were not able to fully implement the program’s compensation component, according to the results of a study published in the January 2014 issue of Health Affairs. The study, which evaluated the success of the CRP for 22 months on the general surgery units at five New York City hospitals, found that implementation brought three important improvements to participating hospitals’ responses to adverse events: more-robust disclosure practices, strengthened relationships between clinicians and risk management staff, and improved tracking of reported events. Although all of the participating hospitals made important strides in improving communication and surveillance, none implemented the resolution component of the CRP as envisioned.