The Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 includes provisions toamend the Public Health...

According to Health Care Risk Management standards established by ASHRM and the American Hospital Association Certification Center, the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 amended the Public Health Service Act to promote voluntary reporting of patient safety events. The Act established a federal framework to encourage confidential reporting and analysis of medical errors in order to improve patient safety.

The law enabled the creation and certification of Patient Safety Organizations PSOs, which collect and analyze patient safety data submitted by healthcare providers. Importantly, the Act designates patient safety work product submitted to PSOs as privileged and confidential, providing federal legal protections against disclosure in most civil, criminal, or administrative proceedings. This privilege encourages candid reporting and system-wide learning.

However, reporting to PSOs is voluntary, not mandatory. The Act was specifically designed to foster participation by offering confidentiality protections rather than imposing compulsory reporting requirements.

Legal and regulatory objectives in healthcare risk management emphasize understanding the scope of federal protections and ensuring proper designation and handling of patient safety work product. Therefore, provisions 1, 2, and 4 are correct, while mandatory reporting to PSOs is not required under the Act.