Home

  • Home
    • » e-Newsletters

JCAHO's 2007 National Patient Safety Goals may affect security

Healthcare Security Weekly, December 5, 2005

Discouraging disruptive behavior and dealing with patient suicide prevention are two topics that may affect hospital security in the proposed 2007 National Patient Safety Goals for hospitals and critical-access programs released November 29.

The JCAHO posted the draft on its Web site along with goals for its other accreditation programs. Organizations have until January 8, 2006, to comment on the proposals.

Go to www.jcaho.org to view and comment on the proposed goals.

Under Goal 15E, the JCAHO would require organizations to conduct a risk assessment of specific factors that may increase or decrease suicide risk, address immediate safety and treatment needs, and provide a crisis hotline or other information for patients and their family members.

Patient suicide ranked at the top of the sentinel events reported to the JCAHO from January 1995 through June 30, with 430 cases out of 3,197 total reports, making this a much-needed goal, says Elizabeth Di Giacomo-Geffers, RN, MPH, CNAA, BC, a healthcare consultant in Trabuco Canyon, CA.

Discouraging disruptive behavior is encouraged as well, but accomplishing the goal may not be easy, a source close to the JCAHO says. Many organizations do not have a code of behavior, and pushing one through some medical staffs may be difficult, the source says.

Most Popular