The Joint Commission has issued its 2009 national patient safety goals for hospitals, ambulatory care, behavioural care, disease-specific care, critical care, home care, laboratories, long-term care and office-based surgery.
The goals relate to:
1. Identifying patients correctly
2. Improving staff communication
3. Using medicines safely
4. Preventing infection
5. Checking patient medicines
6. Preventing patient from falling
7. Helping patients to be involved in their care
8. Identifying patient safety risks
9. Watching patients closely for changes in their health and responding quickly if they need help
10. Preventing errors in surgery
For full details of the Joint Commission’s 2009 national patient safety goals, click here.
Source: Healthcare Governance Review