National Patient Safety Goals and Healthcare Organizations - 3 Points

National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG) is a voluntary set of standards prescribed by the joint Commission. However the benefits of complying with the goals and the following accreditation have resulted in over 16,000 healthcare organizations from different regions of the United States of America participating in the NPSG course and getting accredited.

The following 3 points will tell you more about such organizations vis-à-vis the Joint Commission and NPSG course.

1. Types of Organizations: A number of different healthcare organizations can apply for the Joint Commission accreditation for NPSG. Such types of facilities include hospitals, ambulatory healthcare, critical access hospitals, home care, laboratory services, and long term care. Behavioral healthcare which involves services for addressing addictive and mental disorders, and office-based healthcare where physicians perform various surgical procedures within their offices as an alternative to traditional hospitals are other kinds of organizations that can seek accreditation.

2. Eligibility: The exact eligibility will vary according to the type of healthcare organization however certain standard criteria are required to be fulfilled by all.

• Location: The organizations must be located within the United States of America, though facilities located outside the country but operated by either the United States government or falling under the U.S. Congress charter are also eligible to apply for such accreditation.

• Relevance: The Joint Commission finalizes and prioritizes the NPSG and also decides which goals are applicable to a certain course or organization. The organizations must carefully study these policies and make sure that the services offered by them have been addressed by the accreditation body and also the targets to be achieved for each of the prescribed goals.

• Improve Services: The organizations that seek the Joint Commission accreditation must undertake to improve their services according to the NPSG and must carry out regular assessment by experienced professionals' along with maintaining the relevant records and being ready for any internal and external surveys that may be conducted.

• Service Identification: Lastly each organization must identify and list all its relevant services with details as to which services are being offered directly by the healthcare facility and which of them have been contracted to an external body. Services provided through any other arrangement besides the above two must also be included.

3. Specific Requirements: As already mentioned, each of the healthcare organization may have to abide by certain different requirements as set by the Joint Commission, and will depend on the nature of the organization and the kind of services provided. First you must check the Joint Commission website and see if your organization and services are eligible for the NPSG. Next find the links relevant to your particular organization where you can get the complete information about the accreditation process, cost involved, period taken, and can obtain the checklists, guides, forms, and the latest copies of the goals and policies.

Getting an accreditation for your organization is not an easy or quick process but the Joint Commission offers substantial assistance through various online and interactive medium which will educate you about the accreditation requirements and guide you through the entire process.