New York proposes landmark legislation for patient safety

New York Governor David Paterson (pictured left) has announced legislation that works to dramatically improve patient safety and better facilitate the prevention and response of infectious disease transmissions (as well as prevent future infection control violations).

All told, the Governor's Program Bill increases the authority of the Department of Health (DOH) in epidemiological investigations while providing consumers with access to more information about physicians--particularly those charged with misconduct.

According to Governor Paterson, “It is critical that our system of disciplining physicians be as strong as possible to ensure that cases of misconduct are uncovered, reported and acted upon – even as we remain mindful that persons charged with misconduct have a due process right to challenge such charges. The improved access to information will also lead to better health care for the entire State of New York.”

The legislation is focused on illuminating misconduct by physicians, malpractice claims and legal actions, so as to better inform the public of potential threats. And among its myriad points, the bill also includes that course work or training in infection control practices, already required for physicians, physician assistants and specialist assistants, must also be completed by every medical student, medical resident and physician assistant student--along with documentation of such training.

In his comment, New York State Health Commissioner Richard F. Daines, M.D. said: “This bill strengthens patient safety by updating current law to the way medicine is practiced today. Thanks to Governor Paterson's support, the State Health Department will have clearer authority and access to more information to assist in medical conduct investigations. Patients also benefit from access to more information about the physicians who provide their care.”

The bill appears to advance much of medical reporting to where it should already be; so it is a positive step forward. But what we encourage and implore--in addition to these measures--are systems that prevent human error in the first place (not just reporting them after the fact so as to prevent additional ones). After all, systems, like HVA, that continuously monitor on a 24-7 basis for many of the issues leading to hospital-acquired infections, and immediately alert hospital staff to potential issues, have already shown to improve compliance rates from 38% to 98+% and kept them there.

Full article on Governor Paterson's legislation is located here.