Safety goals, Universal Protocol revised
The Joint Commission released its revised Universal Protocol for surgical site verification September 9, 2009, along with changes to the National Patient Safety Goals. No new safety goals are being issued for 2010. Instead, the commission spent this year reviewing and revising the 2009 goals. Some changes are effective immediately;…
Surveyors to shift sterilization focus
The Joint Commission announced in June it will look beyond flash sterilization to take a broader view of sterilization. Surveyors will scrutinize the entire process rather than just focusing on which sterilization method is selected. "If a complete and effective process of sterilization is used, it will be considered an…
Educating patients on SSI prevention
Though the Joint Commission is in the midst of revising its National Patient Safety Goals, organizations are expected to continue plans to meet the goals by Jan 1, 2010. Proposed revisions were issued May 12 for a 6-week field review. Final goals are expected in October. The commission is conducting…
Are you ready for Joint Commission?
What is needed to be ready for a Joint Commission survey with regard to sterilization practices, both now and in the future? Experiences with recent surveys were shared by 20 operating room managers with responsibility for the OR and sterile processing department (SPD) at an all-day session on sterilization at…
Further changes for 2009 standards
On March 26, the Joint Commission issued a further revision of its 2009 standards. The revision, among other things, removes specific language about OR supervision and circulating duties that had appeared in a Jan 5 draft. The Joint Commission said the changes were a result of its negotiations with the…
FAQs posted on 2009 Universal Protocol
The Joint Commission in November posted answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the 2009 Universal Protocol for surgical site verification. The protocol, introduced in 2004, was revised after a summit in 2007. The changes are effective Jan 1, 2009. Managers will want to review the FAQs and discuss them…
Joint Commission planning to add more infection standards for 2010
Three infection control organizations have joined with the American Hospital Association and the Joint Commission to publish a compendium of what they say are science-based, user-friendly strategies to prevent 6 types of health care-associated infections (HAIs). The strategies were developed in the face of rising patient concern about hospital infections…
Universal Protocol revised for 2009
The Joint Commission has revised the Universal Protocol for surgical site verification for the first time since its launch in 2004. The revised protocol, effective Jan 1, 2009, follows the same format as Joint Commission standards, with a rationale and elements of performance. The changes were announced June 17 with…
Joint Commission revamps standards
The Joint Commission has overhauled its standards, intending to make them easier to understand and use. The revised standards were posted online July 1 for hospitals, critical access hospitals, ambulatory care, office-based surgery, and home care. The standards are effective Jan 1, 2009, for these programs. No new standards have…
What's expected for med reconciliation?
Complying with medication reconciliation, National Patient Safety Goal 8, is one of the biggest challenges in Joint Commission surveys of ambulatory care organizations, including surgery centers. Goal 8 requires organizations to "accurately and completely reconcile medications across the continuum of care." Medication reconciliation tool kit The Joint Commission International Center…
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