The purpose of the Medical/Legal Task Force was to enumerate strategies that will result in the development of voluntary reporting systems of medical errors and "near misses" that are not constricted by fears of discovery (as is the current situation) and subsequent punishment, either by employers or of even more concern, by inapplicable, opposing use in court proceedings.

These three documents were generated as a result of activities of the CPSF Medical/Legal Task Force. I believe they form an excellent resource and background to understand the protections of the Illinois Medical Studies Act and are a basis for the Illinois Patient Safety Organization. They represent a great deal of intense activity by the various authors and I am most personally appreciative. I am sure that the members of the Task Force agree. I would also personally thank all the members of the Medical/Legal Task Force which with the successful completion of our charge now adjourns sine die.

Jim Webster

ESTABLISHMENT OF A SYSTEMIC ERRORS REPORTING SYSTEM TO IMPROVE MEDICAL CARE - A WHITE PAPER
Professor Stephan Landsman, DePaul University, College of Law

THE ILLINOIS MEDICAL STUDIES ACT: ITS PURPOSE, REQUIREMENTS AND PRACTICAL GUIDANCE
Max Douglas Brown, JD, Vice-President & General Counsel, Rush University Medical Center
Rachel Dvorken, JD, Deputy General Counsel, Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Jane A. McAtee, JD, Associate General Counsel, University of Chicago Hospitals
Donna Wetzler, JD, General Counsel, Children's Memorial Hospitals

A ROADMAP TO GUIDE ILLINOIS VOLUNTARY INTER-INSTITUTIONAL SAFETY LEARNING SYSTEMS
Doctor Stephen D. Small, MD, University of Illinois at Chicago
Max Douglas Brown, JD, Vice-President & General Counsel, Rush University Medical Center
Mitchell Wiet, JD, Former General Counsel, Northwestern Memorial Hospital

Illinois Adverse Health Care Events Reporting Law of 2005

For more information on the Illinois Patient Safety Organization, please contact Leonard Lamkin at 312-431-9110 or at lamkin_cpsf@iomc.org.

CPSF Medical/Legal Task Force was supported by a grant from

For further CPSF work on developing a voluntary organization to share reporting of medical error data, see the Illinois Patient Safety Organization.