The California Hospital Association has filed a lawsuit against the California Department of Public Health to halt the implementation of a new surgical site infection public reporting mandate that was scheduled to go into effect June 1, 2011, in the state of California, according to a news release from The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.
Under a law passed in 2008, California hospitals are required to publicly report surgical infection rates to the DPH starting in 2012. The recent mandate issued by the DPH requires hospitals to collect and report data on 29 different surgical procedures and resulting site infections to CDC's National Healthcare Safety Network, including denominator data for each procedure.
According to a California Watch news report, a state advisory committee with hospital representation had initially approved reporting mandates for hip replacement and open-heart surgeries but not the longer list of 29 procedures. The CHA is seeking to stop the implementation of the longer list to protect hospitals from administrative burdens and is pushing for a rule-making process that would determine a final list of reporting measures.
The state attorney general, who represents the DPH, says a rule-making process is not necessary for hospitals to report on those measures.
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Under a law passed in 2008, California hospitals are required to publicly report surgical infection rates to the DPH starting in 2012. The recent mandate issued by the DPH requires hospitals to collect and report data on 29 different surgical procedures and resulting site infections to CDC's National Healthcare Safety Network, including denominator data for each procedure.
According to a California Watch news report, a state advisory committee with hospital representation had initially approved reporting mandates for hip replacement and open-heart surgeries but not the longer list of 29 procedures. The CHA is seeking to stop the implementation of the longer list to protect hospitals from administrative burdens and is pushing for a rule-making process that would determine a final list of reporting measures.
The state attorney general, who represents the DPH, says a rule-making process is not necessary for hospitals to report on those measures.
Related Articles on Quality Reporting:
54% of Providers Self-Report Medical Errors
Patient Safety Bills Aim for More Transparency Among Nevada Healthcare Providers
California Laws on Infection Control, Reporting Have Yet to Produce Real Improvements