The Joint Commission released its 2018 Ambulatory Health Care National Patient Safety Goals.
The organization has four main goals for ambulatory healthcare with a number of specialized goals related to each.
1. Identifying patients correctly
- NPSG.01.01.01 — The Joint Commission recommends using two methods to identify a patient to ensure every patient receives correct medicine and treatment.
- NPSG.01.03.01 — Ensure patients receive the correct blood in a transfusion.
2. Use medicines safely
- NPSG.03.04.01 — Label unlabeled medicines and do this where medicines are stored.
- NPSG.03.05.01 — Pay careful attention to patients who take blood thinning medicines.
- NPSG.03.06.01 — Properly inform patients about their new medications, ensuring a patient knows what medicines to take when they get home. Encourage a patient to bring a list of up-to-date medicines every time they visit a physician.
3. Prevent infection
- NPSG.07.01.01 — Use hand cleaning guidelines from the CDC or World Health Organization. Use goals to improve hand cleaning.
- NPSG.07.05.01 — Follow guidelines aimed at preventing infection after surgery.
4. Prevent mistakes in surgery
- UP.01.01.01 — Ensure each surgery is performed on the right patient, on the correct body part.
- UP.01.02.01 — Mark where the surgery should be done.
- UP.01.03.01 — Take a moment before surgery to ensure a mistake isn't being made.
