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- Improve the accuracy of patient identification.
- Use at least two patient identifiers when providing care, treatment or services.
- Improve the effectiveness of communication among caregivers.
- For verbal or telephone orders or for telephonic reporting of critical test results, verify the complete order or test result by having the person receiving the information record and "read-back" the complete order or test result.
Standardize a list of abbreviations, acronyms, symbols, and dose designations that are not to be used throughout the organization.
- Measure, assess and, if appropriate, take action to improve the timeliness of reporting, and the timeliness of receipt by the responsible licensed caregiver, of critical test results and values.
- Implement a standardized approach to “hand off” communications, including an opportunity to ask and respond to questions.
- Improve the safety of using medications.
- Standardize and limit the number of drug concentrations used by the organization.
- Identify and, at a minimum, annually review a list of look-alike/sound-alike drugs used by the organization, and take action to prevent errors involving the interchange of these drugs.
- Label all medications, medication containers (for example, syringes, medicine cups, basins), or other solutions on and off the sterile field.
- Reduce the risk of health care-associated infections.
- Comply with current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) hand hygiene guidelines.
- Manage as sentinel events all identified cases of unanticipated death or major permanent loss of function associated with a health care-associated infection.
- Accurately and completely reconcile medications across the continuum of care.
- There is a process for comparing the patient’s current medications with those ordered for the patient while under the care of the organization.
- A complete list of the patient’s medications is communicated to the next provider of service when a patient is referred or transferred to another setting, service, practitioner or level of care within or outside the organization.
- he complete list of medications is also provided to the patient on discharge from the facility.
- Reduce the risk of patient harm resulting from falls.
- Implement a fall reduction program including an evaluation of the effectiveness of the program.
- Encourage patients’ active involvement in their own care as a patient safety strategy.
- Define and communicate the means for patients and their families to report concerns about safety and encourage them to do so.
- The organization identifies safety risks inherent in its patient population.
- The organization identifies patients at risk for suicide. [Applicable to psychiatric hospitals and patients being treated for emotional or behavioral disorders in general hospitals.]
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