[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 147 (Tuesday, July 31, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Page 36937]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-16327]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Patient Safety Organizations: Voluntary Relinquishment From
Diagnostic Quality Assurance
AGENCY: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Department
of Health and Human Services (HHS).
ACTION: Notice of delisting.
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SUMMARY: The Patient Safety Rule authorizes AHRQ, on behalf of the
Secretary of HHS, to list as a PSO an entity that attests that it meets
the statutory and regulatory requirements for listing. A PSO can be
``delisted'' by the Secretary if it is found to no longer meet the
requirements of the Patient Safety Act and Patient Safety Rule, when a
PSO chooses to voluntarily relinquish its status as a PSO for any
reason, or when a PSO's listing expires. AHRQ has accepted a
notification of voluntary relinquishment from Diagnostic Quality
Assurance of its status as a PSO, and has delisted the PSO accordingly.
Diagnostic Quality Assurance, PSO number P0170, submitted this request
for voluntary relinquishment after receiving a Notice of Preliminary
Finding of Deficiency.
DATES: The directories for both listed and delisted PSOs are ongoing
and reviewed weekly by AHRQ. The delisting was effective at 12:00
Midnight ET (2400) on July 1, 2018.
ADDRESSES: Both directories can be accessed electronically at the
following HHS website: http://www.pso.ahrq.gov/listed.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eileen Hogan, Center for Quality
Improvement and Patient Safety, AHRQ, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 06N94B,
Rockville, MD 20857; Telephone (toll free): (866) 403-3697; Telephone
(local): (301) 427-1111; TTY (toll free): (866) 438-7231; TTY (local):
(301) 427-1130; Email: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005, 42 U.S.C.
299b-21 to b-26, (Patient Safety Act) and the related Patient Safety
and Quality Improvement Final Rule, 42 CFR part 3 (Patient Safety
Rule), published in the Federal Register on November 21, 2008, 73 FR
70732-70814, establish a framework by which hospitals, doctors, and
other health care providers may voluntarily report information to
Patient Safety Organizations (PSOs), on a privileged and confidential
basis, for the aggregation and analysis of patient safety events.
The Patient Safety Act authorizes the listing of PSOs, which are
entities or component organizations whose mission and primary activity
are to conduct activities to improve patient safety and the quality of
health care delivery.
HHS issued the Patient Safety Rule to implement the Patient Safety
Act. AHRQ administers the provisions of the Patient Safety Act and
Patient Safety Rule relating to the listing and operation of PSOs. The
Patient Safety Rule authorizes AHRQ to list as a PSO an entity that
attests that it meets the statutory and regulatory requirements for
listing. A PSO can be ``delisted'' if it is found to no longer meet the
requirements of the Patient Safety Act and Patient Safety Rule, when a
PSO chooses to voluntarily relinquish its status as a PSO for any
reason, or when a PSO's listing expires. Section 3.108(d) of the
Patient Safety Rule requires AHRQ to provide public notice when it
removes an organization from the list of federally approved PSOs.
AHRQ has accepted a notification from Diagnostic Quality Assurance,
a component entity of Quality Star, LLC, to voluntarily relinquish its
status as a PSO. Accordingly, Diagnostic Quality Assurance was delisted
effective at 12:00 Midnight ET (2400) on July 1, 2018. AHRQ notes that
that Diagnostic Quality Assurance submitted this request for voluntary
relinquishment following receipt of the Notice of Preliminary Finding
of Deficiency sent on April 10, 2018.
More information on PSOs can be obtained through AHRQ's PSO website
at http://www.pso.ahrq.gov.
Francis D. Chesley, Jr.,
Acting Deputy Director.
[FR Doc. 2018-16327 Filed 7-30-18; 8:45 am]
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