6/29/07
 
The Joint Commission has announced the 2008 National Patient Safety Goals and related requirements for each of its accreditation programs.
 
The new criteria were approved by the Joint Commission’s Board of Commissioners and apply to the 15,000 Joint Commission-accredited and certified health care organizations and programs. Each of the new requirements has a one-year phase-in period that includes defined milestones. Full implementation is targeted for January 2009.

The development and annual updating of the National Patient Safety Goals and Requirements continue to be overseen by a panel that includes widely recognized patient safety experts, as well as nurses, physicians, pharmacists, risk managers, and other professionals who have hands-on experience in addressing patient safety issues in a wide variety of health care settings.

The full text of the 2008 Goals and Requirements is posted on The Joint Commission Web site.