Profession
Joint Commission: Hospital CEOs should be judged on safety
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Sept. 14, 2009
Hospital executives need to step up their commitment to helping doctors and nurses reduce medical errors, according to an August alert issued by the Joint Commission.
The commission, which accredits 16,000 hospitals and other health care organizations, said executives, including CEOs, should be held accountable for hospitals' safety performance. The sentinel event alert also said hospitals should pursue transparency with regard to patient safety, have fair processes for dealing with doctors and nurses involved in adverse events, establish a "safety culture" and code of conduct for all employees, and let patients tell leadership directly about their experiences.
Hospital compliance with sentinel event alerts is a factor in the accreditation process, which hospitals need to complete to maintain their eligibility as Medicare providers. The alert is available online at the Joint Commission Web site (link).
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/09/14/prbf0914.htm.
