National Patient Safety Goals.

Oakbrook Terrace, IL: The Joint Commission; 2015.

The National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs) have become a critical method by which The Joint Commission promotes and enforces major changes in patient safety. The criteria used for determining the value of these goals, and required revisions to them, are based on the merit of their impact, cost, and effectiveness. Recent changes have focused on preventing hospital-acquired infections and medication errors, in addition to existing goals promoting surgical safety, correct patient identification, communication between staff, and identifying patients at risk for suicide. In 2014, the group added improving the safety of hospital alarm systems, with a plan for a phased implementation of performance measures. For 2016, there are no new NPSGs, but new requirements related to establishing policies and procedures for managing alarms and educating staff about alarm systems will go into effect starting January 1, 2016. A recently added Patient Safety Primer discusses alert fatigue.