In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.
Q: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ''Medical Error Reduction Act of
2000''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The United States has the finest health care system in
the world. However, there is continuing concern and fear among
the public about the safety of the nation's health care system
as a result of a high occurrence of medical mistakes--the fifth
leading cause of death.
(2) One national study estimates that more than 100,000,000
Americans have experience with medical errors and 1 out 3 cases
caused permanent harm, with half of the errors occurring in
hospitals.
(3) Three of the top patient-safety issues were exposure to
infection, level of care received, and the credentials of
health care professionals.
(4) A recent large-scale study indicates that at least
44,000 Americans may die each year as a result of medical
error. Another study suggests that this number may be as high
as 98,000 Americans.
(5) When using the lower estimate in paragraph (4), deaths
due to medical errors still exceed the number of deaths
attributable to motor vehicle accidents (43,458), breast cancer
(42,297), or AIDS (16,516).
(6) Deaths from adverse drug events total more than 7,000
annually--exceeding the number of yearly workplace injuries
(6,000).
(7) The total national cost of preventable medical errors
resulting in injury is estimated to be between $17,000,000,000
and $29,000,000,000, from direct medical costs, lost
productivity, and disability.
(8) One recent study found that about 2 out of every 100
admissions involves a preventable adverse drug event. If these
findings are generalized, these adverse drug events affecting
inpatients cost $2,000,000,000 nationally.
(9) Medical errors are costly in terms of repeat tests and
medical countermeasures, which also are subject to compounding
errors. Purchasers and patients pay for errors when insurance
costs and co-payments are inflated by services that would not
have been necessary had proper care been provided.
(10) Errors also erode trust in the health care system by
patients who experience longer hospital stays or disabilities
and physical and psychological discomfort. Health care
professionals pay for errors with loss of morale and
frustration at not being able to provide the best care
possible.
(b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this Act to ensure that
individuals enjoy the right to be free from accidental injury,
accidental death, and medication-related errors, including medication-
related errors.

SEC. 3. AMENDMENT TO PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE ACT.

Title IX of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 299 et seq.)
is amended--
(1) by redesignating part C as part D;
(2) by redesignating sections 921 through 928, as sections
931 through 938, respectively;
(3) in section 938(1) (as so redesignated), by striking
''921'' and inserting ''931''; and
(4) by inserting after part B the following:

''PART C--REDUCING ERRORS IN HEALTH CARE

''SEC. 921. DEFINITIONS.

''In this part:
''(1) Adverse event.--The term 'adverse event' means an
injury resulting from medical management rather than the
underlying condition of the patient.
''(2) Error.--The term 'error' means the failure of a
planned action to be completed as intended or the use of a
wrong plan to achieve the desired outcome.
''(3) Health care provider.--The term 'health care
provider' means an individual or entity that provides medical
services and is a participant in a demonstration program under
this part.
''(4) Health care-related error.--The term ''health care-
related error'' means a preventable adverse event related to a
health care intervention or a failure to intervene
appropriately.
''(5) Medication-related error.--The term 'medication-
related error' means a preventable adverse event related to the
administration of a medication.
''(6) Safety.--The term 'safety' with respect to an
individual means that such individual has a right to be free
from preventable serious injury.
''(7) Sentinel event.--The term 'sentinel event' means an
unexpected occurrence involving an individual that results in
death or serious physical injury that is unrelated to the
natural course of the individual's illness or underlying
condition.

''SEC. 922. ESTABLISHMENT OF STATE-BASED MEDICAL ERROR REPORTING
SYSTEMS.

''(a) In General.--The Secretary shall make grants available to
States to enable such States to establish reporting systems designed to
reduce medical errors and improve health care quality.
''(b) Requirement.--
''(1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant under
subsection (a), the State involved shall provide assurances to
the Secretary that amounts received under the grant will be
used to establish and implement a medical error reporting
system using guidelines (including guidelines relating to the
confidentiality of the reporting system) developed by the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality with input from interested, non-
governmental parties including patient, consumer and health care
provider groups.
''(2) Guidelines.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
enactment of this part, the Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality shall develop and publish the guidelines described in
paragraph (1).
''(c) Data.--
''(1) Availability.--A State that receives a grant under
subsection (a) shall make the data provided to the medical
error reporting system involved available only to the Agency
for Healthcare Research and Quality and may not otherwise
disclose such information.
''(2) Confidentiality.--Nothing in this part shall be
construed to supersede any State law that is inconsistent with
this part.
''(d) Application.--To be eligible for a grant under this section,
a State shall prepare and submit to the Secretary an application at
such time, in such manner and containing, such information as the
Secretary shall require.

''SEC. 923. DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS TO REDUCE MEDICAL ERRORS, IMPROVE
PATIENT SAFETY, AND EVALUATE REPORTING.

''(a) Establishment.--The Secretary, acting through the Director of
the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and in conjunction with
the Administrator of the Health Care Financing Administration, may
establish a program under which funding will be provided for not less
than 15 demonstration projects, to be competitively awarded, in health
care facilities and organizations in geographically diverse locations,
including rural and urban areas (as determined by the Secretary), to
determine the causes of medical errors and to--
''(1) use technology, staff training, and other methods to
reduce such errors;
''(2) develop replicable models that minimize the frequency
and severity of medical errors;
''(3) develop mechanisms that encourage reporting, prompt
review, and corrective action with respect to medical errors;
and
''(4) develop methods to minimize any additional paperwork
burden on health care professionals.
''(b) Activities.--
''(1) In general.--A health care provider participating in
a demonstration project under subsection (a) shall--
''(A) utilize all available and appropriate
technologies to reduce the probability of future
medical errors; and
''(B) carry out other activities consistent with
subsection (a).
''(2) Reporting to patients.--In carrying out this section,
the Secretary shall ensure that--
''(A) 5 of the demonstration projects permit the
voluntary reporting by participating health care
providers of any adverse events, sentinel events,
health care-related errors, or medication-related
errors to the Secretary;
''(B) 5 of the demonstration projects require
participating health care providers to report any
adverse events, sentinel events, health care-related
errors, or medication-related errors to the Secretary;
and
''(C) 5 of the demonstration projects require
participating health care providers to report any
adverse events, sentinel events, health care-related
errors, or medication-related errors to the Secretary
and to the patient involved and a family member or
guardian of the patient.
''(3) Confidentiality.--
''(A) In general.--The Secretary and the
participating grantee organization shall ensure that
information reported under this section remains
confidential.
''(B) Use.--The Secretary may use the information
reported under this section only for the purpose of
evaluating the ability to reduce errors in the delivery
of care. Such information shall not be used for
enforcement purposes.
''(C) Disclosure.--The Secretary may not disclose
the information reported under this section.
''(D) Nonadmissibility.--Information reported under
this section shall be privileged, confidential, shall
not be admissible as evidence or discoverable in any
civil or criminal action or proceeding or subject to
disclosure, and shall not be subject to the Freedom of
Information Act (5 U.S.C. App). This paragraph shall
apply to all information maintained by the reporting
entity and the entities who receive such reports.
''(c) Use of Technologies.--The Secretary shall encourage, as part
of the demonstration projects conducted under subsection (a), the use
of appropriate technologies to reduce medical errors, such as hand-held
electronic prescription pads, training simulators for medical
education, and bar-coding of prescription drugs and patient bracelets.
''(d) Database.--The Secretary shall provide for the establishment
and operation of a national database of medical errors to be used as
provided for by the Secretary. The information provided to the
Secretary under subsection (b)(2) shall be contained in the database.
''(e) Evaluation.--The Secretary shall evaluate the progress of
each demonstration project established under this section in reducing
the incidence of medical errors and submit the results of such
evaluations as part of the reports under section 926(b).
''(f) Reporting.--Prior to October 1, of the third fiscal year for
which funds are made available under this section, the Secretary shall
prepare and submit to the appropriate committees of Congress an interim
report concerning the results of such demonstration projects.

''SEC. 924. PATIENT SAFETY IMPROVEMENT.

''(a) In General.--The Secretary shall provide information to
educate patients and family members about their role in reducing
medical errors. Such information shall be provided to all individuals
who participate in Federally-funded health care programs.
''(b) Development of Programs.--The Secretary shall develop
programs that encourage patients to take a more active role in their
medical treatment, including encouraging patients to provide
information to health care providers concerning pre-existing conditions
and medications.

''SEC. 925. PRIVATE, NONPROFIT EFFORTS TO REDUCE MEDICAL ERRORS.

''(a) In General.--The Secretary shall make grants to health
professional associations and other organizations to provide training
in ways to reduce medical errors, including curriculum development,
technology training, and continuing medical education.
''(b) Application.--To be eligible for a grant under this section,
an entity shall prepare and submit to the Secretary an application at
such time, in such manner and containing, such information as the
Secretary shall require.

''SEC. 926. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

''(a) Initial Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this part, the Secretary shall prepare and submit to the
appropriate committees of Congress a report concerning the costs
associated with implementing a program that identifies factors that
contribute to errors and which includes upgrading the health care
computer systems and other technologies in the United States in order
to reduce medical errors, including computerizing hospital systems for
the coordination of prescription drugs and handling of laboratory
specimens, and contains recommendation on ways in which to reduce those
factors.
''(b) Other Reports.--Not later than 180 days after the completion
of all demonstration projects under section 923, the Secretary shall
prepare and submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report
concerning--
''(1) how successful each demonstration project was in
reducing medical errors;
''(2) the data submitted by States under section 922(c);
''(3) the best methods for reducing medical errors;
''(4) the costs associated with applying such best methods
on a nationwide basis; and
''(5) the manner in which other Federal agencies can share
information on best practices in order to reduce medical errors
in all Federal health care programs.

''SEC. 927. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

''There is authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be
necessary to carry out this part.''.
A:
Authorizes the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Agency, to establish a program under which funding will be provided for at least 15 demonstration projects to be competitively awarded in health care facilities and organizations in geographically diverse locations to determine the causes of medical errors and develop specified methods to reduce, minimize, and provide for reporting and corrective action of, such errors. Provides that at least five of such projects shall require participating health care providers to report adverse events and health- or medication-related errors to the patient and patient's family member. Permits the use of reported information only for purposes of evaluating the ability to reduce errors in delivery of care. Subjects such information to confidentiality requirements and makes it inadmissible as evidence in any civil or criminal action. Prohibits disclosure of such information under the Freedom of Information Act as well.
Directs the Secretary to: (1) provide for establishment of a national database of medical errors to contain information collected under this Act; (2) provide information to educate patients and family members about their role in reducing medical errors; (3) develop programs that encourage patients to take a more active role in their medical treatment; and (4) make grants to health professional associations and other organizations to provide training in ways to reduce medical errors.
Requires the Secretary to report to appropriate congressional committees on: (1) costs associated with implementing a program that identifies factors that contribute to errors and which includes upgrading the heath care computer systems and other technologies in the United States to reduce medical errors; and (2) the success of each demonstration project, data collected by States, best methods for reducing medical errors and costs associated with applying such methods, and sharing information on best practices to reduce such errors in Federal health care programs.
Authorizes appropriations.