JCAHO Releases 2007 Patient Safety Goals, Issues Influenza Control Standard

June 16, 2006

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has released its 2007 National Patient Safety Goals and a new standard aimed at ensuring more health care workers receive the annual influenza vaccine.

The 2007 Patient Safety Goals include a new requirement for home care providers to identify risks associated with long-term oxygen therapy, including home fires. The requirement falls under the existing goal stipulating that the organization identify safety risks inherent in its patient populations.

The AARC has long advocated for stricter standards governing home oxygen equipment to prevent these deadly fires, which have impacted numerous patients over the past few years.

Other changes in the 2007 goals include:

• A new requirement under the safety risk goal calling for acute care hospitals, along with behavioral health and psychiatric organizations, to identify patients at risk for suicide.
• A new requirement under the existing goal on medication reconciliation stipulating that a complete list of current medications be provided to the patient upon discharge from care. This requirement applies to hospitals, home care providers, and long-term care facilities, among others.
• An extension to all accreditation programs in 2007of an existing requirement under the goal calling for organizations to encourage patients’ active involvement in their own care as a patient safety strategy. All organizations will now be required to define and communicate the means for patients and their families to report concerns about safety. The requirement previously applied only to organizations accredited under the home care, laboratory, assisted living, and disease-specific care programs.

“The 2007 National Patient Safety Goals target critical areas where patient safety can be improved through specific actions in health care organizations,” says Dennis S. O’Leary, MD, president of the Joint Commission. “Organizations that truly integrate these requirements into their daily operations will realize major opportunities to improve patient safety.”

The new infection control standard on influenza vaccinations for health care workers (including volunteers and licensed independent practitioners with close patient contact) calls for organizations to:

• Establish an annual influenza vaccination program that includes at least staff and licensed independent practitioners;
• Provide access to influenza vaccinations on-site;
• Educate staff and licensed independent practitioners about flu vaccination; non-vaccine control measures (such as the use of appropriate precautions); and diagnosis, transmission, and potential impact of influenza;
• Annually evaluate vaccination rates and reasons for non-participation in the organization’s immunization program; and
• Implement enhancements to the program to increase participation.

The accreditation requirement is being issued to improve health care worker vaccination rates, which studies show currently stand at only about 40 percent. The new requirement goes into effect on January 1 and will apply to all critical access hospitals, hospitals, and long-term care organizations.

View a complete list of the 2007 National Patient Safety Goals for each of the JCAHO accreditation programs. More influenza requirement information is also available.