Learn Strategies for Preventing and Analyzing Sentinel Events
(OAK BROOK, Illinois, USA - March 24, 2008) A health care organization's first aim is to do no harm. However, when a sentinel event (an unexpected event involving death or serious physical injury) or adverse event (an unanticipated, undesirable, or potentially dangerous occurrence in a health care organization) occurs, an opportunity to learn and prevent future recurrences- without blaming those caregivers involved with the error-presents itself.
Hospitals and health care organizations around the world can learn to avoid or mitigate medical errors by reading "Understanding and Preventing Sentinel and Adverse Events in Your Health Care Organization," a new book from Joint Commission International (JCI) and Joint Commission Resources (JCR). JCR is a not-for-profit affiliate of The Joint Commission and JCI is a division of JCR.
Readers of "Understanding and Preventing Sentinel and Adverse Events in Your Health Care Organization," will learn what a sentinel and adverse events are, how they differ from a near miss, how sentinel and adverse events may be prevented, and how they should be reported and responded to. Hospitals and other health care organizations currently accredited by JCI or interested in pursuing JCI accreditation will learn the requirements of JCI's Sentinel Event Policy and how to develop and enforce a Sentinel Event Policy in their organization.
Processes covered in the book include identifying types of sentinel and adverse events, developing a root cause analysis and action plan following the analysis of a sentinel event, and how sentinel events are reviewed during an accreditation survey.
"Understanding and Preventing Sentinel and Adverse Events in Your Health Care Organization" is available for $85 using order code UPSE08. To order, call JCR Customer Service toll-free at 877.223.6866, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CT, weekdays, or visit http://www.jcrinc.com/. Outside of the U.S. please call (770) 238-0454.