Supporting Safer Healthcare

National Patient Safety Week in the US is March 7-13, 2010.  This year, to promote patient safety The Joint Commission will give away 20 copies of “YOU: The Smart Patient,” and a new book “The Smart Parent’s Guide to Getting Your Kids Through Checkups, Illnesses, and Accidents.”  Both books are written for the general public in [...]

The Joint Commission has released its list of the standards that healthcare organizations found most difficult to meet in the first half of 2009.  These standards will no doubt be high-priority for surveyors in the months to come, so make a note if you're up for survey soon. The full list across accreditation and certification programs [...]

The Joint Commission reports that 14.8% of the Sentinel Events they investigate come to their attention through complaints, which can easily be reported through their web site.  Minimize your risk by documenting and addressing patient complaints promptly. Related link:  Complying With CMS Patient Grievance Regulations

The Joint Commission has made the October, 2009 Special Issue of Perspectives available online.  The issue contains a summary of changes coming in the 2010 JC standards and national patient safety goals, which bring the Joint Commission standards into better alignment with CMS Conditions of Participation.  The October issue of Perspectives also includes comments regarding the Medical Staff Chapter's changes in telemedicine standards [...]

The Joint Commission has released their 2010 Pre-Publication Standards for all accreditation programs.  The Hospital Standards (290 pages) feature an expanded Leadership chapter with a focus on patient safety.  For example, LD.04.04.05 (page 90), which includes 14 Elements of Performance, states "The hospital has an organization-wide, integrated patient safety program within its performance improvement activities." EP [...]

CMS and Joint Commission are taking the issue of patient restraint and seclusion seriously.  Hospitals and individual care givers must do the same,  Not just because of the regulatory agencies, but because patients deserve to feel safe, and to be treated with dignity.  That having been said, some patients need to be restrained, for their own [...]

The Open Congress Blog reports on the recent passage, despite Presidential veto, of H.R. 6331, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008.     Most of the focus about this bill has centered on potential cuts to physician reimbursement. The Kaiser Network reports, “A 10.6% reduction to Medicare physician fees will be delayed for 18 months because legislation [...]