THE SENATE

S.C.R. NO.

56

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2002

  

STATE OF HAWAII

  
   

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO develop a strategic plan for the implementation of A PATIENT SAFETY AND MEDICAL ERRORS REDUCTION PROGRAM.

 

WHEREAS, due to the rapid development of medical diagnoses and treatment in the United States, most individuals are, at some point in their lives, a patient within our nation's health care system; and

WHEREAS, in 1999, the Institute of Medicine published a ground-breaking report on medical errors in health care, entitled To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System; and

WHEREAS, this report uncovered unacceptable rates of medical errors resulting in death, permanent disability, and unnecessary suffering by patients within our national health care system; and

WHEREAS, a medical "error" is defined as "the failure to complete a planned action as intended (i.e. an error of execution) or the use of a wrong plan to achieve an aim (i.e. error of planning)"; and

WHEREAS, the report further found that medical errors do not result simply from a single individual's recklessness, but from basic flaws in the health care system related to medication stocks, illegible medical records, lack of proper training in using medical technology, and fragmented treatment offered by multiple practitioners; and

WHEREAS, consumer advocates depend upon national accreditation and certifying organizations, as well as state regulators, to ensure quality controls are exercised over the provision of health care services; and

WHEREAS, these regulatory systems do not often include patient safety as a primary component of their system; and

WHEREAS, approximately one third of the states, including Colorado, Massachusetts, Washington, and New York, have established mandatory systems of reporting medical errors to the public; and

WHEREAS, the State of Hawaii has invested significant resources in developing and marketing our health care industry's services and products for external and in-state consumers; and

WHEREAS, in order to support Hawaii's image as "the Health State" where quality health care services are offered and provided, attention to patient safety must be a primary component of our health care system; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-First Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2002, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Health, in collaboration with health care facilities, health care providers, and state regulatory agencies, is requested to develop a strategic plan for the implementation of a patient safety and medical errors reduction program; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in developing the strategic plan, the Department shall consider inclusion of such components as management, risk prevention education and training for nonphysician personnel, and incident investigation, analysis and reporting, and shall review patient safety systems implemented in other states and recent activities related to patient safety undertaken by relevant federal agencies; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department shall identify the arguments in support of and in opposition to the public disclosure of information related to medical errors; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department's strategic plan for a patient safety and medical errors reduction program shall consider integrating the program within existing state regulatory structures to ensure that patient safety becomes a primary component of health care facility and services quality control systems; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Director of Health shall submit to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the 2003 regular session, a report of findings and recommendations, including possible legislation and resources necessary to implement a patient safety and medical errors reduction program; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health, the Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, the Director of the Office of Information Practices, the State Insurance Commissioner, Healthy Hawai'i Coalition, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, the Hawaii Medical Association, and the Hawai'i Nurses Association.

 

 
 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Patient Safety and Medical Errors Reduction Program