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The rationale behind Goal 15A is that suicide ranks as the 11th most frequent cause of death in the United States, and the third most frequent in young people, according to JCAHO. Suicide of patients while in 24-hour staffed settings has been the most frequently reported type of unexpected, or “sentinel,” occurrence since 1996, as stated by JCAHO.
Almost half of unexpected events leading to Goal 15B were fires in patients’ homes reported by home care programs. JCAHO reviewed 11 such events since 1997 where patients using home oxygen were either killed or injured due to a fire in their home. The expectation for this goal includes a “home safety risk assessment” to identify the presence or absence and working order of home smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and fires safety plans.
Additionally, all medical equipment should be examined and providers should educate the patient and their families about the possibility of fires and how to prevent them.
Another change added to the 2007 Patient Safety Goals is a change to Goal 8B. Now, along with providing a complete list of a patient’s medications to their next provider, the same list will also be provided to the patient upon their discharge.
All of these nationally recognized goals are derived from recommendations in the organization’s newsletter, “Sentinel Event Alert,” and contain relevant information regarding safety for patients and providers.
For more information and a complete list of the 2007 National Patient Safety Goals, please visit The Joint Commission Web site.
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