New patient safety and error reduction standards

Standards that focus directly on patient safety and medical and health care error reduction in hospitals have been approved by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), according to a Jan 2, 2001, news release from JCAHO. These standards augment approximately one-half of current JCAHO patient safety standards. Requirements will be added in the following areas for establishing ongoing patient safety programs in organizations accredited through the Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Hospitals.

Leadership. Hospital leaders must create an environment in which error identification...