PA tracks medical errors but keeps information from patients

The 2002 law creating the state’s Patient Safety Authority dictates that it only releases its data as statistics. The statute — the Medical Care Availability and Reduction of Error Act, referred to as the “MCare” law — shields incident reports from subpoena in lawsuits and the Right to Know law that enables Pennsylvanians to request many kinds of public records from the state. The names of doctors and others involved are also omitted from reports before they go to the authority.