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Patient care and quality improving, says Joint Commission report
Joint-Commission accredited hospitals show improvement in patient safety compliance and quality measures related to heart attacks, heart failure, pneumonia, and surgical conditions, according to a new Joint Commission report, released on Monday, called “Improving America’s Hospitals: The Joint Commission’s Annual Report on Quality and Safety 2008.”
The report, which evaluates six years of data from more than 3,000 hospitals, states that hospitals are increasingly providing evidence-based treatments with a 96% score in heart attack care, which means that hospitals in 2007 provided evidence-based treatment 96 times for every 100 opportunities to do so. The data suggests that there is a correlation between measuring performance and quality.
Although the results are promising, the report states that some measures need to be more consistent, including discharge instructions for heart failure patients.
Hospital performance of Joint Commission-accredited hospitals is available online at Quality Check.
Joint Commission releases guiding principals for hospital of the future
With an aging population and increasing healthcare costs, hospitals face the challenge of optimizing care. The Joint Commission last week issued a white paper, “Health Care at the Crossroads: Guiding Principles for the Development of the Hospital of the Future,” with five guiding principles.
Developed by a roundtable of hospital executives and clinical professionals, the objectives will serve as guidelines for hospitals and public policymakers. They include:
- Economic viability
- Technology adoption
- Patient-centered care
- Staffing
- Hospital design
Joint Commission answers FAQs: 2009 Universal Protocol
The Joint Commission last week released answers to frequently asked questions about the 2009 revised Universal Protocol. The Universal Protocol for Preventing Wrong Site, Wrong Procedure, Wrong Person Surgery is aimed at improving patient safety and preventing procedural errors. All organizations accredited by The Joint Commission must comply with this Universal Protocol. Despite launching the Universal Protocol in 2004, The Joint Commission has witnessed an increase in reported incidences of these types of sentinel events.
In June, the Universal Protocol Summit released an updated Universal Protocol for strategies to eliminate wrong site surgery. Protocol requirements include a pre-procedure verification checklist and a licensed independent practitioner or provider who is privileged and permitted to mark the surgical site.
Find more answers about the Universal Protocol on The Joint Commission FAQ document, available for PDF download.
