Some may have a 'bit of stress' from new goals
Preventing surgical-site infection is one area targeted
Under the 2009 National Patient Safety Goals, ambulatory surgery programs will be required to implement best practices on prevention of surgical-site infection.
"This will probably put a bit of stress on office and ambulatory practices," says Peter Angood, MD, vice president and chief patient safety officer for The Joint Commission (TJC).
The 2009 goals gives a detailed expectation that organization need to follow for education and monitoring and tracking of infection rates. "We have put in there that there is a 30-day period to monitor for infections," Angood says. For implantable devices, the follow-up period is one year, he says. "Those are accepted standards within the infection control world."
Read the requirements, and take them at face value, he advises. "Don't overinterpret," Angood says. "We're looking more for the fact that processes are in place to look at and meet the elements of performance within this goal. We will be looking for longer-term follow-up."
Surgical-site infection requirement has a one-year phase-in, with defined milestones, and full implementation is required by Jan. 1, 2010.
Another change in the patient safety goals is that programs should involve patients in their care by educating them on what's being done to prevent surgical adverse events, Angood says. "They can explain the component of the universal protocol, for example, for preventing surgical-site infection, the patient identification process, those types of things," he says.
In other changes, surgery centers and office-based surgery programs won't be required to obtain information from the patient on medication dose, route, and frequency of use as part of the medication reconciliation process. "They're giving a big sigh of relief," Angood says.
However, TJC still expects those settings to find out what medications the patient is taking, he emphasizes. "That's important to avoid potential allergic reactions or adverse drug interactions."
When a patient's regular medications are adjusted, or new long-term medications are prescribed, you should perform a complete medication reconciliation, he clarifies.
Under the 2009 National Patient Safety Goals, ambulatory surgery programs will be required to implement best practices on prevention of surgical-site infection.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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