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Responding to The Joint Commission's National Patient Safety Goals, hospitals across the country have significantly improved the quality of care for patients suffering from myocardial infarction, heart failure, and pneumonia. In a recent report, The Joint Commission found that almost all patients with myocardial infarction now receive aspirin when they arrive at the hospital, as recommended. However, The Joint Commission also found variability in compliance among states and ongoing lapses in meeting certain goals. For example, many heart failure patients still don't get specific discharge instructions about their condition and follow-up care, and many surgical teams fail to take a "time out" to confirm correct patient identity and procedure.

 

To read Improving America's Hospitals: A Report on Quality and Safety, visit http://www.jointcommission.org.