The National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs) are one of the major methods by which The Joint Commission establishes standards for ensuring patient safety in all health care settings. In order to ensure health care facilities focus on preventing major sources of patient harm, The Joint Commission regularly revises the NPSGs based on their impact, cost, and effectiveness. Major focus areas include promoting surgical safety, achieving health equity, and preventing hospital-acquired infections, medication errors, inpatient suicide, and specific clinical harms such as falls and pressure ulcers. The 2024 goals are now available.

Experience from the sharp end helps to inform safety improvement initiatives. The results from this field survey will inform the revision of a high-alert medication list used to raise awareness about certain drugs that have heightened potential to cause patient harm if used incorrectly. The deadline for submitting comments is October 20, 2023.

The articulation of diagnostic error in the ambulatory setting is emerging. These newly released funding announcements seek proposals that focus on understanding the factors contributing to diagnostic error and strategies to improve diagnostic safety in the ambulatory care environment. The application deadline for both opportunities has passed.

This site provides promotional materials and registration information for an awareness campaign on patient safety that takes place in the autumn. The annual observance will take place October 23-27, 2023.

Inspired by the work and leadership of Dr. Mark Graber, this award will annually recognize either lifetime achievements or stand-alone innovations that enhance efforts to improve the safety and quality of diagnosis. The deadline to submit a 2023 nomination is September 12, 2023.

This virtual fellowship program focuses on developing competencies for leading patient safety efforts. The deadline for submitting an application for the 2023–2024 class has passed.

Diagnostic errors occur in all settings of care and are a primary challenge to safe health care. This announcement raises awareness of two upcoming funding opportunities for understanding and improving diagnostic safety in diverse ambulatory care environments. The funding will target the incidence and contributory factors of diagnostic error within the array of ambulatory care services and the development of strategies and interventions to improve diagnostic safety in ambulatory care.

A Just Culture supports effective reporting and learning from mistakes. This scholarship, inspired by the work and leadership of Judy Smetzer, former editor of the ISMP Medication Safety Alert! newsletter, will support three team or individual certifications in Just Culture practice. The 2023 application process is now closed.

Health care–associated infections (HAIs) affect patients both during and after hospitalization. The use of patient safety methods as well as traditional infection control practices has resulted in significant successes in curbing HAIs such as central-line bloodstream infections. This set of practice guidelines will be developed and disseminated over the course of 2022-2023 to summarize preemptive actions and implementation strategies for prevention of HAIs.

Standardized medication labels have been shown to increase patient comprehension and adherence. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing a rule which, if approved, would require an easily understandable, one-page medication guide be given to patients when receiving medication in the outpatient setting. The comments submission period is now closed.

The integration of best practices into daily work is an indication of their usefulness and sustainability. This survey seeks to understand the broad use of 2022-2023 Targeted Medication Safety Best Practices for Hospitals throughout health care to determine implementation successes and barriers. Data submission closes June 30, 2023.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) offers many practical tools and resources to help healthcare organizations, providers, and others make patient care safer These tools are based on research, and they can assist staff in hospitals, emergency departments, long-term care facilities, and ambulatory settings to prevent avoidable complications of care. The purpose of this challenge is to elicit new narratives of how AHRQ toolkits are being used. Up to ten winners will receive $10,000 each. Submissions are due October 27, 2023.

Nurse staffing and patient care outcomes are linked, yet variation exists in nursing coverage throughout the United States. This submitted bill aims to legislate a national minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratio as a strategy to enhance safety and quality improvement.

Community pharmacies are common providers of medication delivery that harbor process weaknesses affecting safety. This guidance shares evidence-based steps to address problems such as wrong patient errors and lack of consistent barcode system use in the community setting.

Removing unused medications from the home can help prevent accidental exposure to unneeded medications and limit their availability for misuse. This semi-annual program provides patients with an opportunity to discard medications safely. The sponsors also provide education to highlight the importance of appropriate disposal of unused prescription drugs as a medication safety activity.

Approaching diagnosis as a team activity is seen as a key approach to diagnostic effectiveness. This notice highlights a funding opportunity to launch Diagnostic Centers of Excellence to improve diagnosis of undiagnosed and unknown disease and research to inform improvement. The application period is now closed.