THE SENATE

S.C.R. NO.

175

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

REQUESTING A REPORT BY THE PATIENT SAFETY TASK FORCE OF THE HEALTHCARE ASSOCIATION OF HAWAII.

 

WHEREAS, the Institute of Medicine issued a report on medical errors in December 1999 which estimated that up to 98,000 hospitalized Americans die each year as a result of medical errors; and

WHEREAS, although a subsequent study by the VA Center for Practice Management and Outcomes Research found flaws in previous studies and revised the estimate downward to somewhere between 5,000 and 15,000 annual deaths due to medical errors, this rate is still too high; and

WHEREAS, there has been much effort among health care organizations throughout the country to reduce the incidence of medical errors; and

WHEREAS, health care organizations are complex, requiring changes in systems, policies, and procedures; and

WHEREAS, a punitive approach in identifying and blaming individuals will not reduce medical errors and may well result in medical errors being hidden; and

WHEREAS, creating a collaborative atmosphere in which people are willing to discuss problems with the intent of developing solutions will prevent medical errors in the future; and

WHEREAS, after the Institute of Medicine issued its report, the Healthcare Association of Hawaii convened a Patient Safety Task Force (Task Force) consisting of representatives of its member organizations to address the issue of medical errors; and

WHEREAS, subsequently, the Task Force established the following objectives:

(1) Develop a plan for identification, analysis, and evaluation of factors that affect patient safety;

(2) Identify and recommend the utilization of best practices to improve the delivery and quality of health care; and

(3) Promote community awareness through education and advocacy; and

WHEREAS, the fulfillment of these objectives will result in more efficient models of care, delivered by a more knowledgeable workforce that fully understands the significance of its role in safeguarding patients, reducing medical errors, and improving patient care outcomes; and

WHEREAS, not only are health care organizations interested in patient safety, but the public has justifiably expressed an interest in this subject to individual legislators, and providers would like to inform the public about their efforts to reduce medical errors; and

WHEREAS, in the 2002 Regular Session, the Legislature adopted a resolution requesting the Task Force to report prior to the 2003 Regular Session on its activities; and

WHEREAS, in compliance with this resolution, the Task Force submitted a report documenting its past efforts and future plans to improve patient safety, including a proposal to develop a medical error reporting system; and

WHEREAS, the Task Force intends to develop this medical error reporting system during 2003 and to submit proposed legislation prior to the 2004 Regular Session; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-Second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2003, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Patient Safety Task Force of the Healthcare Association of Hawaii is requested to submit to the Legislature a second report on its efforts to reduce medical errors, including proposed legislation for a medical error reporting system, not later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2004; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to Director of Health, the President of the Healthcare Association of Hawaii, and the Chair of the Patient Safety Task Force.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Patient Safety Task Force; Second Report