Patient Safety

Rhode Island protects the safety of patients by:

• Requiring corporations, health care facilities, government agencies, peer review boards and others to report unprofessional conduct by physicians1 and physician assistants.2
• Allowing licensed health care facilities to obtain information from other facilities regarding the revocation of a physician assistant’s privileges.3
• Requiring the Rhode Island board of medical licensure and discipline to maintain confidential files regarding malpractice by physicians4 and physician assistants.5
• Requiring the Rhode Island board of medical licensure and discipline to publish physician profiles that include their disciplinary and malpractice history.6
• Requiring hospitals to report adverse events to the department of health.7
• Requiring employees of licensed health care facilities to report patient handling assignments that they believe pose an unacceptable risk of injury to the patient and/or employees.8
• Requiring Health care professionals, specified public servants, social workers, and other professionals have a duty to report suspected patient abuse or neglect to the department of health within 24 hours of forming their suspicion.9  Health care facilities that receive reports from persons “other than a physician or a certified registered nurse practitioner or physician assistant” regarding the abuse or neglect of a patient must have the patient examined by a licensed health care professional and subsequently report the results of the exam.10 Failure to report patient abuse or neglect may result in fines and/or imprisonment.11 The departments of health and behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals12 must investigate abuse and neglect reports.13
• Requiring, in specified circumstances, mental health professionals to report sexual contact between their patient and another mental health professional.14
• Establishing the Long-Term Care Ombusdsperson program within the department of elderly affairs.15 The ombudsperson will act on behalf of long-term care facility residents and advocate for their interests.16 Long-term care ombudsperson files are confidential.17
• Requiring persons to immediately report their reasonable belief that an individual aged 60 or older is the victim or abuse or neglect to the department of elderly affairs.18 Abuse and neglect record held by the department of elderly affairs or any other Rhode Island agency are confidential.19
• Requiring hospitals, nursing facilities, and ambulatory surgical centers to submit patient safety information to Patient Safety Organizations (PSOs).20 Information obtained by PSOs is confidential, privileged, and immune from discovery.21