New JCAHO Goals Aim to Improve Patient Safety

In Brief: Effective January 2003, accredited health care organizations are required to focus more attention on preventing medical errors and improving patient safety. 

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has issued 2003 National Patient Safety Goals, which became effective on January 1, 2003. The JCAHO established these goals to encourage and help accredited organizations to address specific areas of concern regarding patient safety.

The following are included in the first set of goals issued by the JCAHO:

• Improve the accuracy of patient identification
• Improve the effectiveness of communication among caregivers
• Improve the safety of using high-alert medications
• Eliminate wrong-site, wrong-patient, and wrong-procedure surgeries
• Improve the safety of using infusion pumps
• Improve the effectiveness of clinical alarm systems

Each year, the goals and recommendations associated with this initiative will be reevaluated, and others will continue or be replaced in response to emerging patient safety-related priorities. New goals and recommendations will be announced in July of each year and will become effective on January 1 of the following year.

Beginning January 1, 2003, all JCAHO accredited health care organizations must implement recommendations that address these goals and are appropriate to the organization. Alternatives also may be submitted and accepted as long as they are considered equally effective as the recommendations in achieving each of the six main Patient Safety Goals. Failure by a health care organization to address any of the goals will result in a special type I recommendation upon being surveyed. Details regarding the survey process and the requirement to meet these recommendations can be found in the “Accreditation Participation Requirements” sections within each of the JCAHO accreditation manuals.

In July 2001, after JCAHO implementation of new patient safety standards (which are separate and different from the goals), more than 50 percent of all JCAHO hospital standards must be related directly to patient safety, with additional standards related indirectly. Initially, the patient safety standards were implemented in hospitals only. However, in January 2003, similar standards went into effect for long-term and behavioral health care organizations as well. The safety standards require coordination and integration of many existing safety processes.

To view the new 2003 National Patient Safety Goals and their related recommendations as well as the patient safety standards, visit the JCAHO Web site at www.jcaho.org. For questions regarding the Joint Commission, contact Lisa Kaplan, at the Academy national office at (847) 737-6000 or by e-mail at lkaplan@aapmr.org.