What is a PSO?

The Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 authorized the creation of Patient Safety Organizations to reduce the incidence of events that harm patients. PSOs are designed to improve the quality of the healthcare system in the United States by encouraging clinicians and healthcare organizations to voluntarily report and share data on patient safety events without fear of legal discovery. (Click here to read the Final Rule in the Federal Register.)

Why Use ADN PSO?

With more than 20 years of experience in healthcare data and benchmarking, establishing a PSO was a natural extension for American Data Network. Having helped leading hospitals and clientele throughout the United States comply with reporting requirements of national organizations like The Joint Commission and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, we are perfectly equipped to provide a similar advisory function in patient safety.

As a federally designated PSO, American Data Network PSO and our clients receive legal privilege and confidentiality protections of information that is assembled and reported as patient safety work product (PSWP) for the conduct of patient safety activities. This protection also significantly limits the use of this information in criminal, civil and administrative or disciplinary proceedings. By analyzing patient safety event information, ADN PSO can identify patterns of failure that help you eliminate patient safety risks and hazards.

What Can PSOs Provide?

• Collection and analysis of patient safety work product
• Transmission of de-identified data to the Network of Patient Safety Databases (NPSD)
• Facilitating the identification of process improvements that lead to best practices
• Utilization of patient safety work product to encourage a culture of safety and to provide feedback and assistance toward minimizing patient risk
• Other activities related to the operation of a patient safety evaluation system.

Our Event Reporting Tool

Our web-based Quality Assurance Communication Application allows you to report, monitor, and analyze safety events and near misses to improve clinical processes and curb your organization’s risk. (However, you are not required to use our tool to participate in the ADN PSO.)

Click here to learn more about our Quality Assurance Communication Application.