Joint Commission Releases List of 2018 National Patient Safety Goals

By Brian Ward

The Joint Commission has published its list of National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG) for 2018. The NPSGs cover eight different accreditation programs: ambulatory, behavioral care, critical access hospital, home care, hospital, laboratory services, nursing care center, and office-based surgery.

• The NPSGs include the following:
• Using a minimum of two patient identifiers when providing care
• Eliminating transfusion errors related to patient misidentification
• Labeling all medications, medication containers, and other solutions
• Reducing the chances of harm from anticoagulant therapy
• Maintaining and sharing accurate patient medication information
• Complying with current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or World Health Organization (WHO) hand hygiene guidelines
• Implementing evidence-based practices for preventing surgical site infections