The Joint Commission on June 17 announced the 2009 National Patient Safety Goals and related requirements for each of its accreditation programs and its Disease-Specific Care Certification program. The goals apply to the more than 15,000 Joint Commission-accredited and -certified healthcare organizations and programs.
Major changes for 2009 include three new hospital and critical access hospital requirements related to preventing deadly healthcare-associated infections due to multiple drug-resistant organisms (MDROs), central line-associated bloodstream infections, and surgical site infections. These additions build on an existing goal to reduce the risk of healthcare-associated infections, and recognize that patients continue to acquire preventable infections at an alarming rate within hospitals. The new requirements related to central line-associated bloodstream infections also will take effect for ambulatory care facilities and office-based surgery practices, home care organizations, and long-term care organizations. In addition, prevention of surgical site infections will be a new requirement for ambulatory care facilities and office-based surgery practices. These new infection-related requirements have a one-year phase-in period that includes defined milestones, with full implementation expected by Jan. 1, 2010. Access the 2009 National Patient Safety Goals.
