Patients for Patient Safety US to Celebrate Age-Friendly Hospital Measure on World Patient Safety Day

WASHINGTON, DC / ACCESSWIRE / August 13, 2024 / Patients for Patient Safety US (PFPS US) commends the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for incorporating a vigorous new Age-Friendly Hospital Measure (AFHM) in the payment and policy rules for hospitals that offer services under Medicare and Medicaid programs. PFPS US supported implementation through advocacy and public comments, and will celebrate AFHM’s adoption during World Patient Safety Day events, Sept. 15-17 in Washington, DC.

Developed by the American College of Surgeons based on years of experience and accumulated evidence by a consortium of medical professional associations, the AFHM is a composite measure that asks hospital leaders to attest to whether care programs exist across a range of hospital settings, including hospital wards, operating rooms and emergency departments. The AFHM tracks diagnosis and treatment practices in five domains: 1) Eliciting Patient Healthcare Goals, 2) Responsible Medication Management, 3) Frailty Screening and Intervention, 4) Social Vulnerability, and 5) Age-Friendly Care Leadership.

The AFHM advances the “4Ms” Framework initiative – focusing on what Matters, Medication, Mentation and Mobility – led by the John A. Hartford Foundation in partnership with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, the American Hospital Association and others to ensure the best care for older persons.

“Older persons are at greater risk for poor treatment outcomes as well as missed or delayed diagnoses, so AFHM is an important step forward for patient safety. Public reporting of AFHM results will give patients actionable information to use with our providers to achieve the best results for ourselves and the older persons in our families,” said Sue Sheridan, PFPS US co-founder.

The AFHM will go into effect on October 1, 2024, with hospitals expected to start reporting in 2025.

PFPS US World Patient Safety Day events in Washington, Sept. 15-17, include the launch of Project PIVOT, a patient-led project designed to prioritize questions that diverse patients would prefer to be asked about their healthcare experiences to help drive improvement. Project PIVOT has a focus on older Americans as a growing population at heightened risk for medical errors, missed or delayed diagnosis, or bias.

PFPS US invites patients, family caregivers and patient advocates to participate in the World Patient Safety Day events to raise awareness, recognize loved ones lost to or harmed by unsafe care, and call for further action. Registration is open. Anyone can submit the name of a loved one to be remembered on a flag we will plant on the U.S. Capitol lawn.

PFPS US has also established a scholarship program to help patient safety advocates who need financial assistance to attend. We welcome donations.

About Patients for Patient Safety US (PFPS US) (www.pfps.us):
As part of the World Health Organization’s global Patients for Patient Safety initiative, PFPS US is a patient-led nonprofit based in the United States. We are dedicated to enhancing healthcare through transparency, accountability, and active engagement of patients and families.

Media Contact: Sue Sheridan, ssheridan@pfps.us

Contact Information

Martin Hatlie
Founding Member / Executive Leadership
mhatlie@pfps.us
312-543-5658

Sue Sheridan
Founding Member / Executive Leadership
ssheridan@pfps.us
208-867-3479

Armando Nahum
Founding Member / Executive Leadership
anahum@pfps.us
404-510-8787

SOURCE: Patients for Patient Safety US

View the original press release on newswire.com.