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Medical or Dental Office

 

For the most part, individual medical and dental offices in Massachusetts do not have specific patient safety reporting requirements stemming from a license as a health care facility.

There are two exceptions:

  • Some practices are licensed by the Department of Public Health as clinics. If that is the case, visit the Clinic section to access information about patient safety reporting required of clinics. (See the glossary for the definition of a clinic.)
  • Other medical or dental practices are owned by another licensed health care entity (such as a hospital). In that case, be sure your "parent" entity has all the information needed from your practice to meet any reporting obligations it may have stemming from the event.

Regardless of your practice's licensing status, physicians and certain other individual health care professionals are subject to several reporting requirements related to patient safety in their professional capacities. To learn more about these obligations (e.g. peer reports, communicable diseases, drug diversion), visit the Health Care Professionals section.

For questions about facility licensing, please call the Department of Public Health's licensing division at 617-753-8000.

The Patient Safety Navigator is provided by the Betsy Lehman Center for informational purposes. You cannot submit adverse event reports or other data through the Navigator. Your use of the Navigator will not be monitored, and no data will be collected beyond what is explicitly noted in the Website Privacy Statement. Although the Betsy Lehman Center intends to maintain the Navigator’s contents, we cannot guarantee that the information will be accurate, complete, or up-to-date at all times. You should be aware that regulations and reporting systems are subject to change without our knowledge or could be interpreted differently by the agencies that oversee them. By using the Navigator, you agree that you are solely responsible for determining any reporting obligations applicable to you or your organization. For further terms and conditions, see the Terms of Use.
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