A Guide to Your Rights

• An Overview and Introduction
• Health Insurance
• Patient Safety
• Private Benefits:
  Motor Vehicle Insurance
• Private Benefits: Disability Insurance
• Private Benefits: Workers Compensation
• Public Benefits:
  Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania
• Public Benefits:
  Crime Victims Compensation Fund
• Public Benefits:
  Federal Government
• Public Benefits: Attendant Care
• Disabled Children
• Rehabilitation Hospitals
  & Facilities
• Vocational Rehabilitation Services
• Civil Litigation: Claims For Damages
• Resources
• Support Groups
• Entitlements And Benefits
• Acknowledgements

 

Patient Safety

Medical mistakes are one of the leading preventable causes of death in this country. A 1999 report by the Institute of Medicine estimates that as many as 44,000 to 98,000 people die in U.S. hospitals each year as the result of lapses in patient safety. There are many sources of information that contain information about steps that patients and their families can take to minimize the chances of patient mistakes. A good place to start is a fact sheet developed by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, in partnership with the American Hospital Association and the American Medical Association, which is available at http://www.ahcpr.gov/consumer/5steps.htm

There is also a fact sheet specifically applicable to children and this can be found at http://www.ahcpr.gov/consumer/20tipkid.htm.

Another excellent resource is http://scilib.ucsd.edu/bml/safety.htm.

If a medical error does occur, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has a state agency, known as the Patient Safety Authority, that is charged with identifying problems and recommending solutions that promote patient safety in health care facilities. Under Pennsylvania law, medical facilities are required to notify both the Patient Safety Authority and patients or their families of events that result in death or compromise patient safety, and that result in unanticipated injury to the patient requiring the delivery of additional health care services. Pennsylvania law also requires facilities to report “near misses” – mistakes that pose a risk of injury but do not cause an injury or require additional medical care. Near misses, however, do not need to be reported to patients or their families.

 

This Patient Safety Authority can be contacted at:

Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority

P.O. Box 8410

Harrisburg, PA 17105-8410

(717) 346-0469 (phone) (717) 346-1090 (fax)

http://www.psa.state.pa.us/

 

The Patient Safety Authority primarily works through reports that come from health care facilities. Patients and consumers can also directly report complaints to state regulatory authorities. Complaints related to hospitals and ambulatory surgical facilities can be directed to the Pennsylvania Department of Health: http://www.dsf.health.state.pa.us/health/site/. Complaints against individual licensed medical professionals can be filed with the Department of State’s Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs: http://www.dos.state.pa.us/bpoa/site/default.asp.