Please note: NAMSS-approved CE credit is only available for those who attended the webinar live. You can view the slide deck here.
Presented by Michael R. Callahan, JD, and Ellen Flynn, RN, MBA, JD, this webinar titled Best Practices in Maximizing Patient Safety Privilege Protections Through Policy Development demystifies the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 (PSQIA) by clarifying key terms, exploring real-world applications, and outlining best practices for strengthening PSES policies to maximize privilege protections.
The PSQIA provides broad federal privilege and confidentiality protections for healthcare organizations and practitioners that participate in a federally certified Patient Safety Organization (PSO). These protections extend to a wide range of patient safety activities, analyses, and communications—collectively referred to as Patient Safety Work Product (PSWP)—as defined within an organization’s Patient Safety Evaluation System (PSES) policies. Despite nearly two decades of implementation, many organizations continue to misunderstand or underutilize the full scope of these protections. As a result, hospitals and health systems often limit the reach of PSQIA privilege, inadvertently exposing valuable patient safety and peer review efforts to discoverability.
After watching this presentation, learners should be able to:
- Conduct a comprehensive inventory of patient safety activities, committees, and reports for inclusion within their PSES
- Identify and align cross-referenced policies, procedures, and governance documents that support privilege protection
- Develop communication and outreach strategies to educate staff and update policies organization-wide
Sample comprehensive PSES policies will be shared to illustrate effective frameworks that expand the scope of privilege protections, foster peer learning, and strengthen organizational culture around patient safety and risk reduction.
Presented live on December 10, 2025 by: Michael R. Callahan, JD, and Ellen Flynn, RN, MBA, JD
