Home < Quality Of Care

National Patient Safety Goals, 2007

During the past few years, hospitals and other health care providers have become more aware of the occurrence of errors in the health care delivery system. In response, they have developed safer processes to prevent the most common causes of errors.

Use at least two ways to identify a patient before taking blood, or giving medications or blood products, neither to be the patients room number

By using two identifiers, health care team members can prevent the wrong patient from receiving the wrong blood product or medication or from unnecessarily having their blood drawn.

Staff member who receives an order or a critical test result verbally or via telephone, will "read back" the orders or results to verify accuracy and completeness

Errors are frequently hard to detect but can occur for a number of reasons. One known cause is the inaccurate recording of verbal test results or orders. Reading back a verbal message after writing it is one way to reduce these kinds of errors.

Hospital staff are required to use standardized reports when turning patient care over to another staff member (e.g. at the end of a shift).

This is critical so all the important patient information is passed on to the next caregiver.

Create and use a standard abbreviation list and a list of "Do Not Use" abbreviations to reduce risk of errors

Medication errors are frequently hard to detect but can occur for a number of reasons. One known cause of medication errors is the use of abbreviations, acronyms, and symbols in medication orders that do not have common meaning, or can be misread by the pharmacist or person administering the medication. To reduce these errors, doctors and other health care professionals have identified the most common errors and are working to eliminate them through a variety of methods.

Remove high alert meds and standardize drug concentrations in all patient care units

Drugs that are considered to be high alert have been involved in a high percentage of medication errors and/or serious life threatening events in hospitals. Limiting their availability and standardizing the concentrations that are available reduces the potential for causing patient harm.

Take action to identify sound-alike and look-alike drugs

Medications frequently have confusing names. The organization uses techniques to prevent confusion with drug names that sound and look-alike.

Label all medication containers on a sterile field

When medications or solutions are removed from their original containers and poured into sterile containers, they must be relabeled accurately to prevent confusion. 

Use a "time-out" before procedures to confirm the correct patient, procedure, and body part

By using a final verification process, the health care team can ensure that the right patient will receive the right procedure on the right part of the body. In many cases the patient will not be aware that this is happening since they may already be sedated when the final verification is done.

Involve the patient in marking the surgical site, and use a pre-operative checklist to confirm equipment availability before surgery begins

By using a final verification process, the health care team can ensure that the right patient will receive the right procedure on the right part of the body. In many cases the patient will not be aware that this is happening since they may already be sedated when the final verification is done.

Comply with Center for Disease Control (CDC) hand hygiene guidelines

Doctors, nurses, dentists and other health care providers come into contact with lots of bacteria and viruses. Proper hand washing is important to avoid the spread of contagious disease and infections.

Investigate cases of unanticipated death or major permanent loss of function associated with health care-acquired infection

Joint Commission believes that studying these cases will provide additional information, not so much about the infection itself, but about managing patients at risk for infection and who have acquired an infection. In this manner, the root cause analysis will contribute to reducing the risk of patient harm from health care-associated infection.

Accurately and completely reconcile medications across the continuum of care

Health care organizations must put a process into place to obtain a complete list of patient's current medications upon the patient admission to the organization and to make sure the list is communicated when the patient is transferred. A complete and updated medication list must be provided to the patient upon discharge.

Reduce the risk of patient harm resulting from falls

Patients are often prone to falling when they receive medications or have surgery. Hospitals must implement a fall reduction program to prevent patient falls and to reduce harm from those falls.

Encourage patients’ active involvement in their own care as a patient safety strategy

Communication with patients about all aspects of their care is important so they can be involved.  When patients know what to expect, they are more aware of potential hazards or adverse reactions.  Patients can be an important source of information to ensure patient safety. 

Define and communicate the means for patients and their families to report concerns about safety and encourage them to do so.

Patients are encouraged to be active partners with their healthcare providers and provide feedback when there is an opportunity for improvement.  Patients should have easy access to report concerns.

The organization identifies safety risks inherent in its patient population.

Each organization should identify specific safety risks that are specific to the particular population served and should take actions to reduce those potential risks.  

Home | Regional Health Services | SHS Facilities | Find a Physician | Health Info + Classes
About SHS | Billing Info | Quality of Care | Community Benefit | Volunteering | Employment | Foundations | Emergency Preparedness

© Copyright 1999-2007 Samaritan Health Services | Send Feedback to SHS | Patient Privacy Information