The Joint Commission has published its list of National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG) for 2018. The NPSGs cover eight different accreditation programs: ambulatory, behavioral care, critical access hospital, home care, hospital, laboratory services, nursing care center, and office-based surgery.

• The NPSGs include the following:
• Using a minimum of two patient identifiers when providing care
• Eliminating transfusion errors related to patient misidentification
• Labeling all medications, medication containers, and other solutions
• Reducing the chances of harm from anticoagulant therapy
• Maintaining and sharing accurate patient medication information
• Complying with current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or World Health Organization (WHO) hand hygiene guidelines
• Implementing evidence-based practices for preventing surgical site infections