Editor's Note To support healthcare organizations in implementing proactive risk management strategies, The Joint Commission has issued Sentinel Event Alert, “Environmental disasters: Preparing to safely evacuate or shelter in place.” As detailed in a November 13 press release, this alert outlines steps for healthcare organizations to consider as they prepare…

Read More

Editor's Note According to the annual Sentinel Event Data Report, The Joint Commission received 1,411 reports of sentinel events—an event not related to the natural course of an illness or condition that causes severe harm, permanent harm or death—in 2023. Of that total, 96% of events were voluntary self-reported by…

Read More

Editor's Note Starting January 1, healthcare organizations must consider an expanded timeframe and range of care services when reporting patient suicide as a sentinel event to The Joint Commission. According to the December 13 announcement of the change to the organization’s Sentinel Event Policy, the revised definition “better reflects current…

Read More

Editor's Note Data from The Joint Commission on sentinel events—events that result in patient death or serious harm—for the first half of 2023 are out and look to be on par with last year’s all-time high numbers, Becker's Clinical Leadership October 2 reports. Data from 2022 showed events rising to…

Read More

Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on August 15, issued “Sentinel Event Alert 67: Preserving patient safety after a cyberattack.” The Alert focuses on risks associated with cyberattacks and provides recommendations on how healthcare organizations can deliver safe patient care if a cyberattack occurs. Actions suggested by The Joint Commission include:…

Read More

Editor's Note This study from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Baltimore, finds that COVID-19 is associated with decreased overall and complication-free survival, primarily in the early postoperative period. Of 153,741 surgical patients analyzed between March 2020 and 2021, 4,778 COVID-19-positive patients were matched…

Read More

Editor's Note The Joint Commission’s Ambulatory Buzz on April 24 published five precautionary tips for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) to implement in order to “respond quickly and effectively” to emergencies during outpatient surgery. They are: Establish a culture of safety. Prior to a surgical procedure, conduct a comprehensive physical examination…

Read More

Editor's Note The Joint Commission, on April 4, released its Sentinel Event Data 2022 Annual Review, which covered serious adverse events from January 1 through December 31, 2022. There were 1,441 sentinel events reported in 2022, a 19% increase over 2021, and a 78% increase over 2020, with COVID-19 continuing…

Read More

Editor's Note The Joint Commission on September 7 released sentinel event data for the first 6 months of 2022. Of 832 events reviewed this year from January 1 to June 30, the top 10 most frequently reported were: Falls—199 Unintended retention of foreign objects—30 Suicides—26 Delays in treatment—25 Wrong surgery—19…

Read More