Patient Safety Bills Aim for More Transparency Among Nevada Healthcare Providers

Several patient safety bills, aimed at increasing transparency at hospitals and other healthcare facilities, are awaiting various forms of action, according to a Las Vegas Sun news report.

Several proposals have been penned by Nevada lawmakers with the hope of strengthening transparency and accountability for adverse events occurring at healthcare facilities. Senate Bill 209, which has already been passed and signed by the governor, requires the state to publish all "sentinel events" that occur in hospitals in Clark and Washoe counties. Four other bills await various actions:

  • Senate Bill 264 requires the state to report sentinel events by facility, including preventable readmissions. Administrative penalties could go toward training to improve patient safety.
  • Senate Bill 338 requires every healthcare facility, including nursing homes that care for at least 25 patients, to report adverse events to the CDC. The state would also be required to access and publish all reported information by medical facilities after Oct. 15 and by nursing homes on Jan. 1.
  • Senate Bill 339 requires doctors to disclose hospital-acquired infections to patients and their facilities within five days of the infection's discovery. Exceptions are included in this bill, such as when a patient is in a coma or suicidal.
  • Senate Bill 340 requires hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers to report the names of physicians, which surgical procedures they perform and information about the procedures. This would allow consumers to see links between physicians and adverse events.

Read the news report about patient safety bills in Nevada.

Related Articles on Patient Safety Legislation:
California Laws on Infection Control, Reporting Have Yet to Produce Real Improvements
Montana Patient Safety Act Awaits Governor's Signature
Oregon Physician Assistants Challenge Licensure Process for Practicing Capacity

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