(410 ILCS 522/10-45)

Sec. 10-45. Testing period.

(a) Prior to the testing period in subsection (b), the Department shall adopt rules for implementing this Law in consultation with the Health Care Event Reporting Advisory Committee and individuals who have experience and expertise in devising and implementing adverse health care event or other health care quality reporting systems. The rules shall establish the methodology and format for health care facilities reporting information under this Law to the Department and shall be finalized before the beginning of the testing period under subsection (b).

(b) The Department shall conduct a testing period of at least 6 months to test the reporting process to identify any problems or deficiencies with the planned reporting process.

(c) None of the information reported and analyzed during the testing period shall be used in any public report under this Law.

(d) The Department must substantially address the problems or deficiencies identified during the testing period before fully implementing the reporting system.

(e) After the testing period, and after any corrections, adjustments, or modifications are finalized, the Department must give at least 30 days written notice to health care facilities prior to full implementation of the reporting system and collection of adverse event data that will be used in public reports.

(f) Following the testing period, 4 calendar quarters of data must be collected prior to the Department's publishing the annual report of adverse events to the public under paragraph (4) of Section 10-35.

(g) The process described in subsections (a) through (e) must be completed by the Department no later than July 1, 2007.

(h) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Department may contract with an entity for receiving all adverse health care event reports, root cause analysis findings, and corrective action plans that must be reported to the Department under this Law and for the compilation of the information and the provision of quarterly and annual reports to the Department describing such information according to the rules adopted by the Department under this Law.

(Source: P.A. 94-242, eff. 7-18-05; 95-331, eff. 8-21-07.)