Patient Safety Organization Fundamentals

The Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 authorized the creation of Patient Safety Organizations (PSOs) to improve the quality and safety of US healthcare delivery. This Act encourages clinicians and health care organizations to voluntarily report and share quality and patient safety information without fear of legal discovery.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) administers the provisions of the Patient Safety Act and the Patient Safety Rule dealing with PSO operations. Read about the purpose and goals of PSOs, protections offered by them, formats for reporting, and the process for becoming a PSO. Click "Download Whitepaper" to request the URL to this resource.