As one of the many complementary services offered to members, CHPSO hosts a regularly scheduled Legal Counsel Discussion Group Call designed to support an ongoing exploration of the legal privileges and challenges of the Patient Safety & Quality Improvement Act of 2005 (PSQIA). These calls, which are typically held quarterly, are designed to assist our members and their legal counsel in developing a deeper understanding of the PSQIA. These calls also offer members and their legal counsel the opportunity to hear about current cases and stay abreast of recent legal developments.
These calls are open to all counsel serving our members including hospitals, medical groups, clinics, skilled-nursing facilities, health information technology (HIT) companies, and many other health care partner organizations. CHPSO hosts these calls because we recognize that many of our organizations do not fully understand the legal privileges and challenges of the PSQIA, the Patient Safety Organization (PSO) rule, and Patient Safety Evaluation System (PSES) requirements. The paucity of knowledge and understanding regarding PSOs and PSQIA is not unique to CHPSO members. In fact, it is noted in a recent report from the Office of Inspector General on hospital participation in PSOs. This report indicated that, while participating providers found PSOs very helpful in their patient safety and quality improvement activities, some providers chose not to participate in a PSO program because of confusion regarding the protections.
In the most recent Legal Counsel Discussion Group Call, Peggy Binzer of the Alliance for Quality and Patient Safety (AQUIPS) led the group through an exploration of some of the more frequently confusing elements. These included the intersection of peer review protections and PSQIA, understanding the difference between state and national peer privilege, and the importance of the analysis and deliberations pathway.
The next Legal Counsel Discussion Group Call will be hosted on May 22 from 1 to 2 p.m. (PT). Email info@chpso.org if you have questions or would like to suggest an agenda item. We will be happy to answer any questions that you may have and/or add your suggestions to the next scheduled call.