The Senate has passed a patient safety bill that aims to reduce medical errors and encourage reporting of healthcare mistakes to patient safety organizations.
“Unfortunately, the fear of unnecessary lawsuits has had a chilling effect on information sharing that could reduce errors and save lives,” Sen. Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN), said in a statement last week.
The House this week is expected to pass similar legislation. Last week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved a patient safety bill that provides a way for healthcare providers to share information to patient safety organizations without fear of punishment.
