© Copyright, The Joint Commission 2008 National Patient Safety Goals

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2008 National Patient Safety Goals

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The purpose of the Joint Commission’s National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs) is to promote specific improvements in patient safety.

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The Requirements highlight problematic areas in health care and describe evidence and expert-based solutions to these problems.

The Requirements focus on systemwide solutions, wherever possible.

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National Patient Safety Goals

Goals and Requirements are guided by the Sentinel Event Advisory Group

Each year, the Sentinel Event Advisory Group works with The Joint Commission to undertake a systematic review of the literature and available databases to identify potential new Goals and Requirements

The Goals and their Requirements are published mid-year

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The Sentinel Event Advisory Group

Nationally recognized experts in patient safety

Systems engineers with practical knowledge of root cause analysis (RCA), failure mode and effects analysis, human factors engineering, etc.

Individuals with hands-on experience in health care organizations, representative of the types and sizes of accredited organizations and the various patient populations

Experts in related fields such as pharmaceuticals, information technology, medical equipment, etc.

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The Sentinel Event Advisory Group

Annually recommends core and program-specific NPSGs for adoption by the Board of Commissioners

Reviews draft patient safety recommendations for potential publication in Sentinel Event Alert

Provides advice on the acceptability of alternative practices implemented by accredited organizations in lieu of the specific NPSG Requirements

Recommends topics for future consideration in Sentinel Event Alert

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The Joint Commission 2008 National Patient Safety Goals

Approved by the Joint Commission’s Board of Commissioners in June 2007

The Goals and Requirements are program-specific

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Patient Identification

Goal: Improve the accuracy of patient identification.

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• Requirement: Use at least two patient identifiers when providing care, treatment or services.

Applies to: Ambulatory Care, Assisted Living, Behavioral Health Care, Critical Access Hospital, Disease-Specific Care, Home Care, Hospital, Lab, Long Term Care, Office-Based Surgery

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• Requirement: Prior to the start of any invasive procedure, conduct a final verification process, (such as a “time out,”) to confirm the correct patient, procedure and site, using active—not passive—communication techniques.

Applies to: Assisted Living, Home Care, Lab, Long Term Care

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Improve Communication

Goal: Improve the effectiveness of communication among caregivers.

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• Requirement: For verbal or telephone orders or for telephonic reporting of critical test results, verify the complete order or test result by having the person receiving the information record and "read-back" the complete order or test result.


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• Requirement: Standardize a list of abbreviations, acronyms, symbols, and dose designations that are not to be used throughout the organization.


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• Requirement: Measure, assess, and if appropriate, take action to improve the timeliness of reporting, and the timeliness of receipt by the responsible licensed caregiver, of critical tests and critical results and values.

Applies to: Ambulatory Care, Behavioral Health Care, Critical Access Hospital, Disease-Specific Care, Home Care, Hospital, Lab, Long Term Care, Office-Based Surgery

New for Long Term Care in 2008

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• Requirement: Implement a standardized approach to “hand off” communications, including an opportunity to ask and respond to questions.


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Medication Safety

Goal: Improve the safety of using medications.

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Medication Safety

• Requirement: Identify and, at a minimum, annually review a list of look-alike/sound-alike drugs used by the organization, and take action to prevent errors involving the interchange of these drugs.

Applies to: Ambulatory Care, Behavioral Health Care, Critical Access Hospital, Home Care, Hospital, Long Term Care, Office-Based Surgery

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Medication Safety

• Requirement: Label all medications, medication containers (for example, syringes, medicine cups, basins), or other solutions on and off the sterile field.

Applies to: Ambulatory Care, Critical Access Hospital, Hospital, Office-Based Surgery

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Medication Safety

• Requirement: Reduce the likelihood of patient harm associated with the use of anticoagulation therapy.

Applies to: Ambulatory Care, Critical Access Hospital, Home Care, Hospital, Long Term Care, Office-Based Surgery

New for 2008

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Health Care-Associated Infections

Goal: Reduce the risk of health care-associated infections.

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• Requirement: Comply with current World Health Organization (WHO) Hand Hygiene Guidelines or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) hand hygiene guidelines.


Expanded for 2008

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• Requirement: Manage as sentinel events all identified cases of unanticipated death or major permanent loss of function associated with a health care-associated infection.


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Reconcile Medications

Goal: Accurately and completely reconcile medications across the continuum of care.

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• Requirement: There is a process for comparing the patient’s current medications with those ordered for the patient while under the care of the organization.

Applies to: Ambulatory Care, Assisted Living, Behavioral Health Care, Critical Access Hospital, Disease-Specific Care, Home Care, Hospital, Long Term Care, Office-Based Surgery

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• Requirement: A complete list of the patient’s medications is communicated to the next provider of service when a patient is referred or transferred to another setting, service, practitioner or level of care within or outside the organization. The complete list of medications is also provided to the patient on discharge from the facility.

Applies to: Ambulatory Care, Assisted Living, Behavioral Health Care, Critical Access Hospital, Disease-Specific Care, Home Care, Hospital, Long Term Care, Office-Based Surgery

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Reduce Falls

Goal: Reduce the risk of patient harm resulting from falls.

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Reduce Falls

• Requirement: Implement a fall reduction program including an evaluation of the effectiveness of the program.

Applies to: Assisted Living, Critical Access Hospital, Disease-Specific Care, Home Care, Hospital, Long Term Care

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Influenza & Pneumococcal Disease

Goal: Reduce the risk of influenza and pneumococcal disease in institutionalized older adults.

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• Requirement: Develop and implement a protocol for administration and documentation of the flu vaccine.

Applies to: Assisted Living, Disease-Specific Care, Long Term Care

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• Requirement: Develop and implement a protocol for administration and documentation of the pneumococcus vaccine.


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• Requirement: Develop and implement a protocol to identify new cases of influenza and to manage an outbreak.


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Surgical Fires

Goal: Reduce the risk of surgical fires.

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Surgical Fires

• Requirement: Educate staff, including operating licensed independent practitioners and anesthesia providers, on how to control heat sources and manage fuels with enough time for patient preparation, and establish guidelines to minimize oxygen concentration under drapes.

Applies to: Ambulatory Care, Office-Based Surgery

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Implementation of NPSGs

Goal: Implementation of applicable National Patient Safety Goals and associated requirements by components and practitioner sites.

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Implementation of NPSGs

• Requirement: Inform and encourage components and practitioner sites to implement the applicable National Patient Safety Goals and associated requirements.

Applies to: Networks

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Patient Involvement

Goal: Encourage patients’ active involvement in their own care as a patient safety strategy.

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Patient Involvement

• Requirement: Define and communicate the means for patients and their families to report concerns about safety and encourage them to do so.


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Pressure Ulcers

Goal: Prevent health care-associated pressure ulcers (decubitus ulcers).

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Pressure Ulcers

• Requirement: Assess and periodically reassess each resident’s risk for developing a pressure ulcer (decubitus ulcer) and take action to address any identified risks.

Applies to: Long Term Care

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Risk Assessment

Goal: The organization identifies safety risks inherent in its patient population.

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Risk Assessment

• Requirement: The organization identifies patients at risk for suicide.

Applies to: Behavioral Health Care, Hospital (applicable to psychiatric hospitals and patients being treated for emotional or behavioral disorders in general hospitals)

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Risk Assessment

• Requirement: The organization identifies risks associated with long-term oxygen therapy such as home fires.

Applies to: Home Care

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Changes in Patient Condition

Goal: Improve recognition and response to changes in a patient’s condition.

New for 2008

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Changes in Patient Condition

• Requirement: The organization selects a suitable method that enables health care staff members to directly request additional assistance from a specially trained individual(s) when the patient’s condition appears to be worsening.

Applies to: Critical Access Hospital, Hospital

New for 2008

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Universal Protocol for Preventing Wrong-site, Wrong-person, Wrong-procedure Surgery

• Requirement: Use a pre-op verification process, such as a checklist, to confirm appropriate documents are available.

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• Requirement: Implement a process to mark the surgical site and involve the patient in the process.

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• Requirement: Prior to the start of any surgical or invasive procedure, conduct a final “time out” verification to confirm the correct patient, procedure, and site.

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Submitting Alternative Approaches

Alternatives much be at least as effective as the published Requirements in achieving the Goals and must be approved by The Joint Commission based on the Sentinel Event Advisory Group’s review.

Submit a “Request for Review of an Alternative Approach to a NPSG Requirement ” form found on www.jointcommission.org/PatientSafety/NationalPatientSafetyGoals

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Submitting Alternative Approaches

If an alternative is not accepted, the organization will need to either revise the alternative until it is approved, or implement the Requirement as issued by The Joint Commission.

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Surveying and Scoring theNational Patient Safety Goals

All applicable Goals & Requirements, or acceptable alternative approaches, must be implemented

Surveyors evaluate actual performance, not just intent

NPSG Requirements are Compliant or Not Compliant

Failure to comply with a NPSG Requirement will result in a “Requirement for Improvement”

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Public Disclosure of Compliance with the National Patient Safety Goals

Aggregate data– Data from 2003 – 2007 surveys posted on

Joint Commission website

Individual health care organizations:

– Compliance with specific Requirements

– Revised “Quality Reports” —

on website since mid-year 2004

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For more information:For more information:

The Joint Commission website

www.jointcommission.org

Documents

© Copyright, The Joint Commission 2008 National Patient Safety Goals