2006 Disease-Specific Care National Patient Safety Goals

Note:  New Goals and Requirements are indicated in bold.

 

Goal 1	Improve the accuracy of patient identification.
1A	Use at least two patient identifiers (neither to be the patient's room number) whenever administering medications or blood products; taking blood samples and other specimens for clinical testing, or providing any other treatments or procedures.
1B	Prior to the start of any invasive procedure, conduct a final verification process to confirm the correct patient, procedure, site, and availability of appropriate documents. This verification process uses active—not passive—communication techniques.
Goal 2	Improve the effectiveness of communication among caregivers.
2A	For verbal or telephone orders or for telephonic reporting of critical test results, verify the complete order or test result by having the person receiving the order or test result "read-back" the complete order or test result.
2B	Standardize a list of abbreviations, acronyms and symbols that are not to be used throughout the organization.
2C	Measure, assess and, if appropriate, take action to improve the timeliness of reporting, and the timeliness of receipt by the responsible licensed caregiver, of critical test results and values.
2D	Not applicable.
2E	Implement a standardized approach to “hand off” communications, including an opportunity to ask and respond to questions.
Goal 3	Improve the safety of using medications.
3A	Retired in 2006.
3B	Standardize and limit the number of drug concentrations available in the organization.
3C	Not applicable.
3D	Not applicable.
Goal 4	Eliminate wrong-site, wrong-patient, wrong-procedure surgery.
4A	Create and use a preoperative verification process, such as a checklist, to confirm that appropriate documents (e.g., medical records, imaging studies) are available.
4B	Implement a process to mark the surgical site and involve the patient in the marking process.
Goal 5	Retired in 2006.
Goal 6	Improve the effectiveness of clinical alarm systems.
6A	Implement regular preventive maintenance and testing of alarm systems.
6B	Assure that alarms are activated with appropriate settings and are sufficiently audible with respect to distances and competing noise within the unit.
Goal 7	Reduce the risk of health care-associated infections.
7A	Comply with current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) hand hygiene guidelines.
7B	Manage as sentinel events all identified cases of unanticipated death or major permanent loss of function associated with a health care-associated infection.
Goal 8	Accurately and completely reconcile medications across the continuum of care.
8A	Implement a process for obtaining and documenting a complete list of the patient’s current medications upon the patient’s admission to the organization and with the involvement of the patient. This process includes a comparison of the medications the organization provides to those on the list.
8B	A complete list of the patient’s medications is communicated to the next provider of service when a patient is referred or transferred to another setting, service, practitioner or level of care within or outside the organization.
Goal 9	Reduce the risk of patient harm resulting from falls.
9B	Implement a fall reduction program and evaluate the effectiveness of the program. Note: Replacement for 9A
Goal 10	Reduce the risk of influenza and pneumococcal disease in older adults.
10A	Develop and implement a protocol for administration and documentation of the flu vaccine.
10B	Develop and implement a protocol for administration and documentation of the pneumococcus vaccine.
10C	Develop and implement a protocol to identify new cases of influenza and to manage an outbreak.
Goal 11	Not applicable.
Goal 12	Not applicable.
12A	Inform and encourage components and practitioner sites to implement the applicable National Patient Safety Goals and associated requirements. [Networks]
Goal 13	Encourage the active involvement of patients and their families in the patient’s care as a patient safety strategy.
13A	Define and communicate the means for patients and their families to report concerns about safety and encourage them to do so.
Goal 14	Not applicable.