Standards Aimed At Preventing Medical Errors
Medical Errors Blamed For 1 Million Injuries Annually
POSTED: 10:46 a.m. EDT July 24, 2002
CHICAGO -- The agency that accredits hospitals is putting
new patient safety standards in place.
The National Patient Safety Goals for 2003 were set by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
They include demanding better methods of correctly identifying
patients when giving blood tests or medication, better communication among caregivers, marking body parts destined for surgery, and involving patients in the process.
Starting in January, during the group's routine visits to hospitals
nationwide, investigators will see if the standards are in place,
or if other suitable patient safety methods are used.
Hospitals that aren't following suitable safety practices could
risk losing their accreditation and federal dollars.
"The know-how to prevent these errors exists," said Dr. Dennis S. O'Leary, JCAHO president. "We now need to focus on making sure that health care organizations are actually taking these preventive steps."
Medical errors are blamed for more than 1 million
injuries and 98,000 deaths annually.
Additional Resources:
- Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality report
Copyright 2002 by TheBostonChannel.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.







