California takes lead in patient safety efforts

Nearly 400 California hospitals have joined together in support of a public-private partnership aimed at enhancing the quality of care provided to patients, according to the California Hospital Association (CHA) and its patient safety partner organizations.

By endorsing the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) Partnership for Patients initiative, CHA said that hospitals throughout California have agreed to participate in two specific quality improvement programs:

• By the end of 2013, preventable hospital-acquired conditions will decrease by 40 percent compared to 2010. Achieving this goal will mean approximately 1.8 million fewer injuries to patients nationwide, with more than 60,000 lives saved over three years.
• By the end of 2013, preventable complications during a transition from one care setting to another will decrease so that all hospital readmissions will be reduced by 20 percent compared with 2010. Achieving this goal will mean more than 1.6 million patients across the U.S. will recover from illness without suffering a preventable complication requiring rehospitalization within 30 days of discharge.

As part of the Partnership for Patients program, CMS developed a federally funded initiative known as the Hospital Engagement Network. More than $200 million has been designated for 26 state, regional, national and hospital system organizations in an effort to reduce inpatient harm by 40 percent and hospital readmissions by 20 percent by the end of 2013. CHA is a subcontractor to one of the 26 organizations receiving CMS funding--the Health Research & Educational Trust, an affiliate of the American Hospital Association. 

Hospitals participating in the quality improvement HEN project are focusing on 10 specific clinical areas in order to reduce hospital-acquired infections and medical errors by the end of this year.  

In addition to the CMS' Partnership for Patients program, most hospitals in California participate in patient safety collaboratives aimed at reducing hospital-acquired conditions like infections and medical errors. Collaboratives and other patient safety organizations review data, evaluate best practice approaches and help accelerate the adoption of quality improvement programs. One of the largest collaboratives in California–Patient Safety First–was established in California in 2010 by multi-year grant funded by Anthem Blue Cross. Hundreds of hospitals also participate in the California Hospital Patient Safety Organization.