Institute:Office of National Coordinator (ONC) Workforce Training Curriculum
Component:The Culture of Health Care
Unit:Sociotechnical Aspects: Clinicians and Technology
Lecture:Patient safety
Slide content:Improving Patient Safety by Implementing a Do Not Use List In 2001, The Joint Commission issued a Sentinel Event Alert on the topic of medical abbreviations In 2002, a National Patient Safety Goal was approved that required accredited organizations to develop and implement a do not use list of abbreviations In 2004, The Joint Commission created its do not use list as part of the requirements In 2010, NPSG.02.02.01 was integrated into The Joint Commission Information Management standards 5
Slide notes:5 Another aspect of patient safety is the implementation of a do not use list. In 2001, The Joint Commission issued a warning on the subject of medical abbreviations. Some medical abbreviations were confusing, and if used improperly they could cause harm to patients. It became obvious that some abbreviations could no longer be used. In 2002, The Joint Commission approved a National Patient Safety Goal requiring accredited organizations to develop and implement a list of abbreviations that they would not use. In 2004, The Joint Commission created its own do not use list of abbreviations as part of the requirements, and in 2010, the National Patient Safety Goal was integrated into The Joint Commission Information Management standards. By establishing a set of standards by consensus, The Joint Commission hopes to reduce the incidence of adverse events associated with the improper use of medical abbreviations. This has significant implications in the improvement of overall safety when patients are admitted to a hospital or acute care setting. Another aspect of patient safety is the implementation of a do not use list. In 2001, The Joint Commission issued a warning on the subject of medical abbreviations. Some medical abbreviations were confusing, and if used improperly they could cause harm to patients. It became obvious that some abbreviations could no longer be used. In 2002, The Joint Commission approved a National Patient Safety Goal requiring accredited organizations to develop and implement a list of abbreviations that they would not use. In 2004, The Joint Commission created its own do not use list of abbreviations as part of the requirements, and in 2010, the National Patient Safety Goal was integrated into The Joint Commission Information Management standards. By establishing a set of standards by consensus, The Joint Commission hopes to reduce the incidence of adverse events associated with the improper use of medical abbreviations. This measure has significant implications in the improvement of overall safety when patients are admitted to a hospital or acute care setting. Organizations with Joint Commission accreditation incorporate these various standards and directions from The Joint Commission in their operational processes and procedures, many of which focus on supporting patient safety and error reduction.