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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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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The Joint Commission has made 2 major changes to the National Patient Safety Goals for 2008, requiring organizations to: take steps to reduce harm from anticoagulant therapy. develop a method to enable caregivers to request help when a patient's condition seems to be worsening. The new requirements will be phased…

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The Joint Commission isn't making immediate changes in the Universal Protocol for surgical site verification. But revisions could be coming. One issue being discussed is who should mark the surgical site. Joint Commission officials discussed the protocol in a June 21 audioconference as a follow-up to a wrong-site surgery summit…

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The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) is seeking input on potential National Patient Safety Goals and requirements for 2008. The deadline for comments is Jan 26, 2007. Final 2008 goals will be announced later in the year. The draft goals for hospitals are: Improving the accuracy of…

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Forget the big push to get ready for a survey by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. All surveys are now unannounced, so organizations must be ready every day. Banner Desert Medical Center, Mesa, Ariz, with 600 beds, last surveyed in February 2006, has switched into continuous-readiness mode.…

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