Collaboration with Regulators to Support Quality and Accountability Following Medical Errors: The Communication and...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Patient Safety
• Regulatory Collaboration

Background:

• Communication and Resolution Programs (CRPs) are frameworks for healthcare institutions to address adverse events.
• CRPs emphasize transparency, event analysis, recurrence prevention, and patient compensation.
• Collaboration between healthcare entities and regulatory bodies can improve overall healthcare quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the potential of collaboration between healthcare institutions and regulators in the context of CRPs.
• To evaluate a pilot CRP Certification program involving the Medical Quality Assurance Commission (MQAC) and the Foundation for Health Care Quality (FHCQ).

Main Methods:

• The study involved healthcare institutions, liability insurers, and the MQAC in Washington State.
• A pilot CRP Certification program was developed, with a panel reviewing cases for CRP key elements.
• Cases meeting the standard were "CRP Certified," potentially leading to case closure by MQAC if patient safety was enhanced.

Main Results:

• Key issues identified during the development included data protection for CRP Certification.
• Determining necessary information for regulatory assessment was a challenge.
• Balancing public protection with organizational collaboration and preventing the shielding of incompetent providers were critical considerations.

Conclusions:

• The CRP Certification program represents a novel collaboration between institutions, insurers, and regulators.
• This initiative promotes patient-centered accountability and learning after adverse events.
• The program offers a promising model for enhancing healthcare quality through regulatory partnership.