HHS Announces the Health IT Patient Safety Action and Surveillance Plan

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) recently announced the Health Information Technology Patient Safety Action and Surveillance Plan (Health IT Safety Plan). The Health IT Safety Plan aims to increase data and knowledge and encourage a culture of health IT safety.  Additionally, ONC will utilize resources and corrective action plans to advance health IT and patient safety.  Specifically, the Health IT Safety Plan will implement some of the following actions:

• Form a Code of Conduct to educate providers in reporting health IT safety events.
• Monitor health IT adverse event reports.
• Use the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s reporting tool, Common Formats, for more convenient reporting of patient safety events and risks.
• Increase the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ focus on health IT and safety through their safety standards for health care facilities, interpretive guidance, and surveyor trainings.

The ONC has made the Health IT Safety Plan available for public comment for 45 days, from December 21, 2012 through February, 4, 2013.

The article on the Health IT Safety Plan is available at:

http://www.healthit.gov/sites/default/files/safetyplanhhspubliccomment.pdf.

The fact sheet on the Health IT Safety Plan is available at:

http://www.healthit.gov/sites/default/files/safetyplanfactsheet.pdf.

The Health IT Safety Plan is available at:

http://www.healthit.gov/policy-researchers-implementers/health-it-and-patient-safety.

Department of Health and Human Services.  “HHS Health IT Safety Plan Open for Public Comment.”  21 Dec. 2012.

Department of Health and Human Services.  “ONC Fact Sheet: Health Information Technology Patient Safety Action & Surveillance Plan for Public Comment FY2013-2015.”  21 Dec. 2012.