The Northwest Safety and Quality Patient Safety Organization (NWSQ PSO) is a component of WSHA and was established in 2019. It supports Washington hospitals with federal protections under the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act (PSQIA).
The NWSQ PSO promotes a culture of safety and transparency engaging Washington hospitals to collaborate on patient safety events to address errors and near misses. It fosters equitable best practices through data analysis, benchmarking, and accountability for a safer environment for patients and staff
A Patient Safety Organization (PSO) is an organization that collaborates with health care professionals to enhance safety and quality of patient care, including identifying and addressing health inequities.
Getting Started
IPPS Rule. Beginning in fiscal year 2025, hospitals must make attestations related to specific activities to receive points necessary for some payments under the CMS 2025 IPPS regulation. These requirements include the submission of patient safety structural measures (PSSM) data. As part of this rule, hospitals are required to have:
- A leadership commitment to eliminating preventable harm
- Strategic planning and organizational policy that integrates patient safety
- A culture of safety and learning health system that fosters a culture in which staff can commit to continuous improvement and report safety concerns without fear
- Accountability and transparency in patient safety practices and outcomes
- Patient and family engagement in safety efforts
There is a difference between a PSO, and a Washington State recognized Coordinated Quality Improvement Program (CQIP).
WSHA’s CQIP, the NWSQ PSO, both aim to improve health care quality and safety, but they have different scopes and protections and require separate agreements.
While the CQIP is specific to Washington State and offers state-level protections, the NWSQ PSO has a broader scope and provides federal protections.
For more information contact Tina Seery at tinas@wsha.org.
Tools
- Blank NWSQ PSO Participation Agreement
- Adverse Events Among In-Hospital Medicare Patients in 2021 and 2022
- Approach to Improving Patient Safety: Communication | PSNet
- Literature-supporting-CRPs-v6.pdf
- IHIPatientSafetyEssentialsToolkit (1).pdf
- Improving Patient Safety Systems for Patients With Limited English Proficiency: A Guide for Hospitals
- PSOPPC: Common Formats for Surveillance Hospital Version 1.0
- PSOPPC: For PSOs
- Quality Improvement Essentials Toolkit | Institute for Healthcare Improvement
- Kit-de-Herramientas-de-QI-Essentials_Espaคol.pdf
- SafetyToolkit_5Whys.pdf
- SafetyToolkit_ActionHierarchy.pdf
- SafetyToolkit_AskMe3.pdf
- SafetyToolkit_CauseandEffectDiagram (1).pdf
- SafetyToolkit_DevelopingReliableProcesses.pdf
- SafetyToolkit_FailureModesandEffectsAnalysis.pdf
- SafetyToolkit_Flowchart.pdf
- SafetyToolkit_Huddles.pdf
- SafetyToolkit_SBAR.pdf
- TeamSTEPPS 3.0 | Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Resources
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
- Listed PSOs | PSO
- Resources | PSO
- Work With a Patient Safety Organization | PSO
- Patient Safety Organization (PSO) Program. | PSNet
- Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005-HHS Guidance Regarding Patient Safety Work Product and Provider’s External Obligations
Attestation Guide for the Patient Safety Structural Measure in CMS Quality Reporting
Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Code of Federal Regulations
- .eCFR :: 42 CFR Part 3 — Patient Safety Organizations and Patient Safety Work Product
- Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act 2005
- Patient Safety Rule
QualityNet
Washington State Department of Health
