Joe Kiani, founder of the Patient Safety Movement Foundation, recommended five strategies to reduce preventable patient deaths at a hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee today.
1. Create a system of transparency. Mr. Kiani suggested Congress standardize quality measure reporting among hospitals and require hospitals to publicly report hospital-acquired infections and hospital-acquired conditions.
2. Provide incentives and disincentives. Mr. Kiani suggested Congress expand the current HAC Medicare policy to make more conditions eligible for nonpayment if hospitals are negligent. He also suggested providing hospitals with full protection from malpractice suits if they implement evidence-based practices.
3. Create the "patient data super highway." Mr. Kiani called for progress on interoperability and suggested Congress grant the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology the "authority to investigate and decertify products that pursue information-blocking practices," according to the release.
4. Extend safe harbor. He suggested Congress extend to technology vendors the legal safe harbor healthcare providers get through reporting to patient safety organizations. This policy will encourage vendors to transparently report technology-related adverse events, according to the release.
5. Ensure patient dignity. Mr. Kiani recommended every hospital have a patient advocate for patients or their families to contact in real time if desired or needed.
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