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