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2007 goals seem simple, but details are emerging

After reading this article, you will be able to

1. list the changes to the goals and requirements for 2007

2. describe how goals will be scored beginning in January

3. list the top three root causes for inpatient suicide

4. recall three steps to meeting the suicide goal

5. describe sample language to use for meeting the patient-centered care goal

6. outline the steps for meeting the new medication reconciliation requirement

The 2007 list of National Patient Safety Goals includes a handful of minor tweaks at first blush:

• Suicide risk assessment is new
• Patient-centered care is to be expanded to all programs
• Medication reconciliation has a new requirement
• No 2006 goals are to be retired into the standards manuals

That's where the JCAHO's announcement, made June 13, left off. But upon further inspection, many subtle but important language changes are found in the existing goals. Briefings on JCAHO has outlined all of them for you on pp. 6-8 of the PDF of this issue.

Also, new in the implementation expectations for the goals-which the JCAHO posted to its Web site several days after the goals announcement-are rationales for the requirements.

Additionally, the implementation expectations now appear in the same format as elements of performance (EP) in the standards manuals, such as the Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Hospitals. They are assigned a scoring category-A or C-and many of them have measures of success (MOS) designations. Beginning January 1, 2007, surveyors will score goals exactly the way that they score EPs for standards.

The JCAHO has since published the revised goals in their entirety in an expanded July edition of Perspectives, which all accredited organizations receive, but we've provided some side-by-side comparisons and analysis on pp. 6-8 of the PDF of this issue.

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