Patient-safety information bill criticized

Des Moines Register, April 3, 2008

Lisa McGiffert, an analyst for Consumers Union is criticizing Iowa's idea of letting a private group cofounded by the Iowa Hospital Association handle patient safety data instead of having government officials do it. The proposal would require hospitals to report patient-safety and pricing information to a group called the Iowa Healthcare Collaborative. The Collaborative was founded by the Iowa Hospital Association and the Iowa Medical Society, and McGiffert says she is concerned the data may be biased as a result.