Several major issues have been addressed or streamlined headed into 2011, The Joint Commission stated during its recent Executive Briefings session in New York City. Many of these changes are intended to put an end to ongoing problematic standards, end several-year-long debates, and clarify...
Most clinicians understand the dangers multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) present to patients. Most also understand that these germs are easily spread through hands and other surfaces, and that hand washing is a proven method for preventing MDROs from spreading. Yet—as many patient safety...
Editor’s note: The following column answers some data-related questions on “Patient Safety Talk,” an HCPro listserv that addresses many of the topics covered in this newsletter and is available to subscribers on the Patient Safety Monitor website. This month’s questions are...
True or false: The safety officer has the authority to take immediate action if he/she feels that there is a safety concern that poses an immediate threat to patients, employees, or visitors.
The Joint Commission’s Center for Transforming Healthcare (CTH) has announced the second in its series of solutions for top healthcare challenges: hand-off communication.
Except for some minor changes, The Joint Commission has announced that there will be no other updates to the 2011 National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG).
True or false: When preparing to administer blood or blood products, it is important to use a two-person verification process to ensure that the correct patient is getting the correct product.
In order to comply with changes to CMS Conditions of Participation for hospitals regarding who may order respiratory services, The Joint Commission has implemented changes to...
