(1) The department shall:

     (a) Receive and investigate, where necessary, notifications and reports of adverse events, including root cause analyses and corrective action plans submitted as part of reports, and communicate to individual facilities the department's conclusions, if any, regarding an adverse event reported by a facility;

     (b) Provide to the Washington state quality forum established in RCW 41.05.029 such information from the adverse health events and incidents reports made under this chapter as the department and the Washington state quality forum determine will assist in the Washington state quality forum's research regarding health care quality, evidence-based medicine, and patient safety. Any shared information must be aggregated and not identify an individual medical facility. As determined by the department and the Washington state quality forum, selected shared information may be disseminated on the Washington state quality forum's web site and through other appropriate means; and

     (c) Adopt rules as necessary to implement this chapter.

     (2) The department may enforce the reporting requirements of RCW 70.56.020 using its existing enforcement authority provided in chapter 18.46 RCW for childbirth centers, chapter 70.41 RCW for hospitals, and chapter 71.12 RCW for psychiatric hospitals.

[2007 c 259 § 13; 2006 c 8 § 107.]

NOTES:

     Severability -- Subheadings not law--2007 c 259: See notes following RCW 41.05.033.