When a facility joins a PSO, it agrees to:

• Keep Patient Safety Work Product (PSWP) confidential

• Not disclose PSO-protected information outside the PSO process

• Limit access to PSWP to authorized individuals only

• Do not use PSWP for discipline, litigation, or public reporting

• Properly segregate PSO-protected information when required

Breaking confidentiality can eliminate federal protections and increase legal exposure.

A PSO helps facilities:

• Review incidents, near misses, and trends in a protected environment

• Identify system breakdowns rather than individual blame

• Learn from aggregated data across similar facilities

• Receive guidance, tools, and education to improve processes

• Strengthen operations in a legally defensible way

The purpose is learning and improvement, not discipline or enforcement.

A Patient Safety Organization (PSO) is a federally recognized organization that helps healthcare providers confidentially review mistakes, near misses, and high-risk situations under federal legal protection so that system problems can be fixed without fear of punishment or public exposure.

• Authorized under federal law (Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act)

• Listed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

• Information appropriately submitted to a PSO is protected from discovery, public records requests, and use in lawsuits

Joining a PSO:

• Does not create new state reporting requirements

• Does not replace NCCHC or other accreditation

• Does not increase public records exposure

• Does not discipline staff

• Does not require public disclosure of incidents

A correctional healthcare PSO focuses solely on jails, prisons, and detention settings, where risks and operational realities differ from those in hospitals and clinics.

Common focus areas include:

• Intake and screening

• Medication continuity

• Mental health crises and suicide prevention

• Withdrawal management

• Communication between custody and medical staff

• Staffing and operational constraints

This ensures reviews are realistic, practical, and appropriate for correctional environments.

Joining is straightforward and does not require accreditation or major system changes.

Typical requirements include:

• A membership or participation agreement

• A written Patient Safety Evaluation System (PSES)

• Designated administrative and clinical contacts

• Commitment to confidential participation

Facilities typically join to:

• Reduce legal and reputational risk

• Keep sensitive discussions protected

• Identify repeat problems early

• Access correctional-specific expertise

• Improve quality without adding regulatory burden

Participation is voluntary and improvement-focused.

A correctional healthcare PSO is a federally protected, confidential way for detention facilities to review safety issues and improve systems, with a shared obligation to keep those discussions private and protected.