JCAHO to set patient safety goals

     The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations has announced it will establish annual National Patient Safety Goals.  The goals will come from existing Sentinel Event alerts that have been reviewed by an advisory board relative to their evidence base and cost benefits aspects.  The first set of goals is expected to be determined by July of this year.  From that point, JCAHO will select six goals every July with no more than two recommendations for each goal.  Beginning in January of the subsequent year, organizations providing care relevant to the patient safety goals will be surveyed for compliance with the recommendations.

     JCAHO’s Board of Commissioners will determine whether to continue or replace certain goals over subsequent years.  Data that is aggregate to the achievement of the goals will be made available to the public every year.  Individual organization compliance information will not be disclosed until 2004.