Trump, Archimedes Hold Lessons For CMS Hospital, Safety Rules
The group advocated for a mandatory reporting system that would require hospitals to report all errors, not just those they choose to disclose. Patients for Patient Safety also called for a ban on “gag clauses” in settlement agreements that prevent patients and families from discussing errors. Such clauses, the group explained, inhibit learning and accountability.
Finally, the nonprofit called for a nationwide patient safety reporting system that would provide patients with real-time, transparent information. The system would allow patients to report errors and safety concerns directly, empowering them with the information they need to protect themselves and their loved ones.
In summary, CMS has the leverage to drive significant change in hospital quality and safety. By toughening safety regulations, demanding more meaningful transparency, and empowering patients with actionable information, the agency can move hospitals to provide better, safer care. As Archimedes understood, with the right leverage, even moving the earth is possible.
Patients for Patient Safety has highlighted an important issue that patients often notice things that others may miss when it comes to their own healthcare. Despite this valuable insight, patients are often left out of harm reporting systems, preventing them from directly reporting incidents that could improve patient safety. This exclusion of patients from reporting harm has been a longstanding issue that needs to be addressed in order to empower patients and families to play a more active role in their own healthcare.
In a previous Forbes column, it was pointed out that CMS administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz has made it a priority to empower the American people to take control of their health and to hold healthcare providers accountable for patient outcomes. The quality and safety rules that are being supported by activists present a unique opportunity to make significant progress in achieving these goals. By giving patients a voice in reporting harm and advocating for their own safety, CMS can make a substantial impact on the healthcare system.
Just as Archimedes famously said, “Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.” CMS has the ability to leverage its regulations on quality and safety to bring about positive change in healthcare. With the power to enforce these regulations, CMS can ensure that patients are included in harm reporting systems and are able to directly report incidents that could lead to improvements in patient safety.
President Trump has emphasized the importance of leverage in making deals, and CMS has a unique opportunity to leverage its regulatory power to benefit patients and improve the healthcare system as a whole. By empowering patients and families to report harm and hold providers accountable, CMS can make significant strides towards achieving its goals of empowering the American people to take control of their health.
