The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has updated the common formats used by patient-safety organizations to exchange information.
The revisions include a description of the safety events and unsafe conditions that should be reported to PSOs, as well as data elements related to those descriptions and an updated user's guide, AHRQ said in launching the latest version. AHRQ developed the common formats last year under the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 so that PSOs would have standardized language, technical requirements and specifications in collecting and analyzing patient-safety data.
The common formats are currently designed only to support acute-care hospitals, AHRQ said. Later versions will support other care settings including nursing homes, ambulatory surgical centers and doctor's offices.
