Joint Commission Publishes Monograph to Improve Patient & Worker Safety Efforts

Preventable medical errors result in 44,000 to 98,000 patient deaths each year, according to an Institute of Medicine report. These statistics are well known among patient safety professionals. However, SH&E professionals are familiar with BLS statistics, which show that healthcare workers experience some of the highest rates of nonfatal occupational illness and injury.

In an effort to understand what can be learned from these statistics about patient and worker safety in a healthcare environment, and to explore possible synergies between the efforts of patient safety and worker safety advocates, the Joint Commission has published a monograph, “Improving Patient and Worker Safety: Opportunities for Synergy, Collaboration and Innovation.”

The monograph is intended to encourage greater coordination of patient and worker safety initiatives, and bridge safety-related concepts that are often siloed within the specific disciplines of patient safety, and occupational safety and health.

Topics include:

• high reliability in healthcare organizations and benefits to improving safety for both patients and workers;
• management principles, strategies and tools that advance patient and worker safety, and contribute to high reliability;
• specific case examples of activities and interventions to improve safety;
• key themes and action steps to meet challenges and achieve success.

Learn more about the Joint Commission’s patient safety efforts on the organization’s website.