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JCAHO releases proposed 2006 National Patient Safety Goals

Accreditation Connection, January 28, 2005

Accredited organization leaders have until February 25 to submit an electronic evaluation of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations' (JCAHO) proposed 2006 National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG) and requirements.

The JCAHO posted the proposed goals on its Web site January 27 for hospitals and the following accreditation programs: ambulatory, assisted living, behavioral health care, critical access hospital, home care, laboratory, long-term care, office-based surgery, and disease-specific care.

The JCAHO plans to review the evaluations before finalizing the list of 2006 goals for release this summer. The accreditor most likely will require implementation by Jan. 1, 2006.

The field review for hospitals includes 16 proposed requirements or language updates to existing goals, six proposed new goals with 20 proposed requirements, and "retirement" of several goals into the standards.

Two goals in place for other accreditation programs are proposed for inclusion in the hospital goals. They include:

Goal # 10: Reduce risk of influenza and pneumococcal disease in older adults.

Goal #11: Reduce surgical fire risk.

The six proposed new goals include:

Goal #13: Create and sustain a patient safety culture.

Goal #14: Empower patients to become involved in their care.

Goal #15: Avoid patient harm caused by healthcare worker fatigue.

Goal #16: Avoid healthcare-associated decubitus ulcers.

Goal #17: Prevent patient harm from anticoagulants, insulin, and narcotic analgesics.

Goal #18: Reduce risk of harm due to emotional and behavioral crisis.

To view the complete goals, their proposed requirements, and to take the evaluation, visit www.jcaho.org/accredited+organizations/field_reviews.htm.

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