Life Safety Deficiencies Top Joint Commission's Citation List

The addition of the life safety specialists was prompted by a U.S. Government Accountability Office report issued in 2004 that concluded Medicare validation surveys at hospitals uncovered serious fire safety deficiencies that Joint Commission surveyors hadn't identified in earlier visits.

Other problems make the list
In addition to Life Safety Code deficiencies, the old EC.5.40, which sets a variety of provisions for the inspection, testing, and maintenance of fire protection equipment, was the sixth most-cited standard last year, affecting 26% of hospitals. EC.5.40 has since been renumbered EC.02.03.05.

Here is the top 10 list of cited standards in 2008, along with the percentage of hospitals cited, as published by Perspectives:

1. EC.5.20 (45%)—Life Safety Code compliance
2. IM.6.50 (43%)—Qualified staff members transcribing verbal or telephone orders
3. MM.2.20 (37%)—Properly stored medications
4. National Patient Safety Goal 2C (37%)—Improving timeliness of reporting and receiving critical tests and results
5. IM.6.10 (31%)—Keeping complete and accurate medical records
6. EC.5.40 (26%)—Maintaining fire protection equipment
7. National Patient Safety Goal 3D (25%)—Labeling medications and medication containers
8. HR.1.20 (22%)—Ensuring staff member qualifications are consistent with job responsibilities
9. Universal Protocol 1C (21%)—Conducting time-outs immediately before starting procedures
10. National Patient Safety Goal 8A (19%)—Comparing a patient's current medications with those ordered for the patient