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Bill > H1008


MA H1008

MA H1008
Relative to patient safety


summary

Introduced
01/22/2013
In Committee
01/22/2013
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
08/01/2014

Introduced Session

188th General Court

Bill Summary

Relativerelative to the annual reporting of patient safety by health care providers. Health Care Financing.

AI Summary

This bill mandates that various healthcare providers, including hospitals and nursing homes, must annually report specific patient safety data to a central "center," which will then make this information publicly available online. This data will include metrics like patient illness severity, readmission rates, patient and nurse satisfaction, nurse vacancy rates, the amount of nursing care provided by registered nurses (RNs), the ratio of RNs to patients, and statistics on falls, healthcare-acquired infections, and medication errors, as defined by national quality organizations like the National Quality Forum (NQF) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The bill also requires the reporting of documented nursing interventions and patient safety measures, such as restraint checks and seizure precautions, to help the public and insurance purchasers compare the quality and cost of care. To develop these reporting methods, the "center" will consult with a wide range of stakeholders, including government agencies, professional associations, and patient advocacy groups. Additionally, the bill establishes new regulations concerning nurse staffing, including defining "patient acuity" (the intensity of nursing care needed by a patient) and setting "nurse's patient limits" (the maximum number of patients a direct-care RN can be assigned), with the goal of ensuring safe and high-quality patient care. These new regulations will be developed and implemented by the Department of Public Health, with specific timelines for reporting, system development, and compliance for healthcare facilities.

Committee Categories

Health and Social Services

Sponsors (65)

Christine Canavan (D)* Denise Andrews (D),  Brian Ashe (D),  Ruth Balser (D),  Jennifer Benson (D),  John Binienda (D),  Michael Brady (D),  Tony Cabral (D),  James Cantwell (D),  Tackey Chan (D),  Katherine Clark (D),  Cheryl Coakley-Rivera (D),  Nick Collins (D),  Edward Coppinger (D),  Claire Cronin (D),  Mark Cusack (D),  Josh Cutler (D),  Marcos Devers (D),  Geoffrey Diehl (R),  Stephen DiNatale (D),  Diana Dizoglio (D),  James Dwyer (D),  Jamie Eldridge (D),  Kim Ferguson (R),  Michael Finn (D),  John Fresolo (OTHER),  Bill Galvin (D),  Sean Garballey (D),  Denise Garlick (D),  Anne Gobi (D),  Kevin Honan (D),  Pat Jehlen (D),  Louis Kafka (D),  Mary Keefe (D),  Robert Koczera (D),  John Lawn (D),  David Linsky (D),  Timothy Madden (D),  John Mahoney (D),  Paul Mark (D),  Paul McMurtry (D),  Mark Montigny (D),  Rhonda Nyman (D),  Jim O'Day (D),  Sarah Peake (D),  Denise Provost (D),  Angelo Puppolo (D),  Dave Rogers (D),  John Rogers (D),  Dennis Rosa (D),  Richard Ross (R),  Tom Sannicandro (D),  John Scibak (D),  Carl Sciortino (D),  Frank Smizik (D),  Ellen Story (D),  Benjamin Swan (D),  James Timilty (D),  Timothy Toomey (D),  Cleon Turner (D),  Aaron Vega (D),  Martin Walsh (D),  Steven Walsh (D),  Daniel Wolf (D),  Jon Zlotnik (D), 

Last Action

Accompanied a study order, see H4266 (on 07/09/2014)

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