Next steps-policy in clinical practice: The patient safety structural measure

Abstract

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Patient Safety Structural Measure is an attestation-based public reporting measure encouraging hospitals to establish comprehensive patient safety programs, measure, and report their outcomes. Hospitalist practice is uniquely situated to benefit from and advance this policy: in particular, the emphasis on transparency and patient and family engagement. A clinical practice of talking openly with patients and families about harm requires clinical teams and leaders to systematically identify, report, analyze, improve, and heal. We describe this new policy, its limitations, and potential influences on hospital care.