HHS To Develop Internet Reporting System for Medical Errors
HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson is expected to announce the creation of a task force today that will develop an "Internet-based clearinghouse" of medical errors, the AP/Chicago Sun-Times reports. The database, which would not be available to the public, would enable doctors and hospitals to report errors to the federal government for quality purposes. Health officials are currently required to report mistakes in "at least" 18 states and the federal government "routinely" collects the information on a voluntary basis. HHS officials said the proposed system would not include patient names or other personal information, but only records that are already transmitted to regulators or the federal government. Thompson said that the database will help the government "make much better use of information we already collect" and enable researchers to "translate that information into quality gains for patients." The AP/Sun-Times reports that President Bush has requested $12 million in "start-up" funds for the project, which is part of a "larger effort to reduce medical mistakes" (McQueen, AP/Chicago Sun-Times, 4/23).