New NPSG addresses central line infection risks
Requirements for therapy reduced for HHAs
The importance of reducing deadly drug-resistant, healthcare-acquired infections is the basis for The Joint Commission's 2009 National Patient Safety Goal new requirement to reduce the risk of infection associated with central lines. Although two other requirements were added to the goal to reduce healthcare-associated infections, the multi-drug resistant organism and surgical site infection requirements do not apply to home health.
"The issue of healthcare-acquired infections continues to get bigger," says Peter B. Angood, MD, vice president and chief safety officer for The Joint Commission. There are many different types of infections that require various approaches by each entity, he adds.
The element that requires home health agencies to "implement best practices or evidence-based guidelines to prevent central line-associated bloodstream infections" has a one-year phase in period, but there are specific deadlines to meet within the year, points out Angood. Appropriate guidelines include guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or other professional organizations.
"This will be a complicated process for many entities, which is the reason we designed a phase-in period," admits Angood. "Although most home health personnel don't insert central lines, they are often responsible for maintaining them," he says. This makes it important for staff members to receive proper education on prevention of possible infections and for staff members to be able to re-educate patients and their families, he says.
Home health managers received good news with the release of the 2009 goals, because several requirements for compliance with the goal to reduce harm from anticoagulation therapy were removed from home care's manual, says Angood.
"Early feedback on the 2008 National Patient Safety Goals prompted us to make changes in home care requirements for the goal designed to reduce harm from anticoagulation therapy," says Angood. Elements 3 through 7 of the requirement were too specific and did not apply to home care, he explains. "Removing these elements for home care did make life easier for home health managers," he admits.
The anticoagulation safety goal was published last year with a one-year implementation period and specific checkpoints throughout the year. "Home health agencies should already have their implementation plan to meet this goal in place and should have conducted a pilot test of the plan by October 1," says Angood. The plan to reduce the risk of anticoagulation therapy in the home health agency should be fully implemented by Jan. 1, 2009.
Overall, home health agencies are complying with the National Patient Safety Goals well, says Angood. "Medication reconciliation is still difficult for home health but there are many tools, including electronic health records, that can help," he suggests. He adds, "Because all elements of the goal related to medication reconciliation were revised this year, home health managers should review them to make sure their programs still meet requirements."
Resources
To see a copy of the 2009 National Patient Safety Goals for home care, go to www.jointcommission.org. Select "Patient safety" from top navigational bar, then select "National patient safety goals." Scroll down to "home care."
For a copy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's "Guidelines for the Prevention of Intravascular Catheter-Related Infections" go to: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/gl_intravascular.html.
The importance of reducing deadly drug-resistant, healthcare-acquired infections is the basis for The Joint Commission's 2009 National Patient Safety Goal new requirement to reduce the risk of infection associated with central lines.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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