Patient Safety and Environment of Care: Back to Basics

Article by:  Thomas Magilocchetti, MEEEE, MSBME

The requirements contained in standard EC.03.01.01 include key elements of performance (EPs) that are basic to maintaining patient safety within the environment of care. These EPs require that staff and licensed practitioners effectively describe and demonstrate methods of eliminating and minimizing physical risks and the actions to take in the event of an environment of care incident. Staff and licensed practitioners must also be able to describe and demonstrate how to report environment of care risks.

Health care institutions are complex by nature and can have large-scale campuses that include multiple buildings and multidisciplinary staff totaling several hundred to several thousand people. When incidents occur in the environment of care, staff must effectively react in accordance with well-defined emergency and contingency response plans, often within very short time frames, to assure adequate patient safety. This standard has returned to the Environment of Care chapter in 2009; it was previously located within the Human Resources chapter. It should also be noted that meeting the first EP within standard HR.01.04.01, is essential in achieving success with the goals of standard EC.03.01.01. This EP requires that the hospital determine the key safety content of orientation provided to staff. Also, standard HR.01.05.03 requires that staff participate in ongoing education and training that is documented.

Standard EC.03.01.01: Staff and licensed independent practitioners are familiar with their roles and responsibilities relative to the environment of care.