A panel of widely recognized patient safety experts advise The Joint Commission on the development and updating of NPSGs. This panel, called the Patient Safety Advisory Group, is composed of nurses, physicians, pharmacists, risk managers, clinical engineers and other professionals who have hands-on experience in addressing patient safety issues in a wide variety of health care settings. The Patient Safety Advisory Group works with Joint Commission staff to identify emerging patient safety issues, and advises The Joint Commission on how to address those issues in NPSGs, Sentinel Event Alerts, standards and survey processes, performance measures, educational materials, and Center for Transforming Healthcare projects. Following a solicitation of input from practitioners, provider organizations, purchasers, consumer groups and other stakeholders, The Joint Commission determines the highest priority patient safety issues and how best to address them. The Joint Commission also determines whether a goal is applicable to a specific accreditation program and, if so, tailors the goal to be program-specific.
What Are the National Patient Safety Goals?
The National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs) were established in 2002 to help accredited organizations address specific areas of concern in regards to patient safety. The first set of NPSGs were effective January 1, 2003. The Patient Safety Advisory Group advises The Joint Commission on the development and updating of NPSGs.
Development of Goals
The Joint Commision
Changes effective for 2018
- NPSG.07.03.01 — multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs): Has been applicable to hospitals and critical access hospitals and is now applicable to nursing care centers. The note has been revised to include carbapenem-resistent enterobacteriaceae (CRE) as one of the organisms covered by the goal, and the goal has been revised to allow organizations to determine the appropriate time frame for education.
- NPSG.07.04.01 — central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs): The elements of performance (EPs) for hospitals and critical access hospitals have been reordered, and the goal has been modified to allow organizations to determine the appropriate time frame for educating staff and licensed independent practitioners. Similar modifications were made for nursing care centers, and the requirement for the education of residents and patients has been added.
Visit the Joint Commission Website
An independent, not-for-profit organization, The Joint Commission accredits and certifies nearly 21,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. Joint Commission accreditation and certification is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to meeting certain performance standards.
