OIG Report Evaluates State Adverse Event Reporting

A January 6 report by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (OIG) reviewed 17 state adverse event reporting systems. In the report, the OIG found that seven states provided no public disclosures, three provided limited disclosures, and seven provided extensive public disclosures.

"Adverse events" are described as a situation where a patient is harmed in the course of receiving medical care, such as surgical site infections. The systems with "extensive reporting" disclosed the event and also provided the medical community with information and strategies on how to prevent future adverse events.

The report recommends that other systems follow the lead of the seven states with extensive reporting.

The following is a breakdown of the systems in the report:

• No Disclosures: Utah, Florida, Nevada, New York, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont
• Limited Disclosures: Colorado, Maine, Rhode Island
• Extensive Disclosures: Maryland, Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania

The full report can be found here:
http://www.oig.hhs.gov/oei/reports/oei-06-09-00360.pdf.