APPENDIX IV: The Joint Commission’s National Patient Safety Goals (Hospital Version, 2017)

NPSG.01.01.01

Use at least two patient identifiers when providing care, treatment, and services.

NPSG.01.03.01

Eliminate transfusion errors related to patient misidentification.

NPSG.02.03.01

Report critical results of tests and diagnostic procedures to the right staff person on a timely basis.

NPSG.03.04.01

Before a procedure, label medicines that are not labeled. Note: medication containers include syringes, medicine cups, and basins.

NPSG.03.05.01

Reduce the likelihood of patient harm associated with the use of anticoagulant therapy.

NPSG.03.06.01

Maintain and communicate accurate information about patients’ medications.

NPSG.06.01.01

Ensure that medical equipment alarms are audible and responded to on time.

NPSG.07.01.01

Comply with either the current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) hand hygiene guidelines or the current World Health Organization (WHO) hand hygiene guidelines.

NPSG.07.03.01

Implement evidence-based practices to prevent healthcare-associated infections due to multidrug-resistant organisms in acute care hospitals. Note: This requirement applies to, but is not limited to, epidemiologically important organisms such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Clostridium difficile (CDI), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), and multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria.

NPSG.07.04.01

Implement evidence-based practices to prevent central line–associated bloodstream infections. Note: This requirement covers short- and long-term central venous catheters and peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) lines.

NPSG.07.05.01

Implement evidence-based practices for preventing surgical site infections.

NPSG.07.06.01

Implement evidence-based practices to prevent indwelling catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI).

NPSG.15.01.01

Identify patients at risk for suicide. Note: This requirement applies only to psychiatric hospitals and patients being treated for emotional or behavioral disorders in general hospitals.

UP.01.01.01

Conduct a preprocedure verification process to ensure that the correct procedure is done on the correct patient at the correct site on the body.

UP.01.02.01

Mark the procedure site.

UP.01.03.01

A time out is performed before the procedure.

© The Joint Commission, 2017. Reprinted with permission. Available at: https://www.jointcommission.org/assets/1/6/2017_NPSG_HAP_ER.pdf.

Skipped numbers represent retired Goals (the numbers are not replaced).

NPSG, National Patient Safety Goal; UP, Universal Protocol.