Sentinel Event

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The JCAHO and Sentinel Events
Since 1951, the Joint Commission’s (JCAHO) accreditation standards have indicated to patients and other health care organizations, the facility provides safe care of the highest quality. To earn the Joint Commission’s Goal Seal of Approval™, facilities undergo rigorous on-site surveillance, both initially and periodically, to maintain their accreditation. The following discussion focuses on the importance of patient safety, sentinel event reporting, and root cause analysis of untoward events in the hospital and office-based surgery center settings. Because a sentinel event signals the need for an immediate response to prevent further harm, all health care settings must exercise diligence and professionalism in …show more content…
For this reason, the role of risk and quality management staff is important to an organization to ensure compliance with all regulations. The Joint Commission certifies not only hospitals, but also other facilities such as behavioral health, laboratories, and homecare; therefore, the list of reportable events will differ between each type of organization. The following lists outline some of the important differences between what constitutes a sentinel event in a hospital versus an office-based surgical practice. According to the Joint Commission (2014), while some events such as suicide, assault, or abduction of a patient are shared sentinel events, those below are unique to the …show more content…
When a sentinel event happens, whether it is self-reported or the Joint Commission learns one has occurred through other means, the facility is obligated to conduct an acceptable, thorough, and credible root cause analysis within 45 days of leaning of the occurrence. According to the Joint Commission (2014), should an organization fail to submit an RCA within this timeframe, its accreditation may be impacted. Furthermore, each sentinel event has its own specific areas of required details. For instance, a patient abduction requires reporting on staffing levels and the orientation and training of staff at the time of the event, whereas additional information is required when a death occurs. In addition to the RCA, each event will include an action plan to prevent reoccurrence. Noticeably missing from the documentation is names of staff or the patient involved in the event. Again, the Joint Commission does not view reporting and gathering information following a sentinel event as punitive, but an opportunity for shared learning throughout the health care
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