New Colorado Law Protects Adverse Health Care Incident Resolution Process

A new Colorado law will establish a legally protected process for communication with patients and/or their families and a format for resolution after an adverse healthcare incident, according to the National Law Review. Participation by healthcare facilities and providers is voluntary and the process must be initiatied by the healthcare provider involved in the adverse incident or by another provider jointly with the health facility involved. If the process is initiated by the patient or their family/representative, the discussion will not be protected. If followed correctly, this complicated process can significantly benefit nursing homes and assisted living facilities in investigating, communicating and resolving compensation issues related to adverse resident outcomes.