Sentinel Events (2018) [Healthcare Compliance Tips]

Send an email to your staff and discuss the Joint Commission’s article called the “Top 10 Most Frequently Reported Sentinel Events in 2018.”

Last week, the Joint Commission released their 2018 sentinel report. They state 87 percent of the events were voluntarily self-reported by certified and accredited organizations (801 sentinel events total).

Here are the top 10 findings:

• Fall – 111
• Unintended retention of a foreign body -111
• Wrong site surgery – 94
• Unassigned* – 68
• Other unanticipated event** – 59
• Suicide – 50
• Delay in treatment – 43
• Product or device events – 29
• Criminal event – 28
• Medication error – 24

Quality and safety should always be the primary focus in your practice.

Today, we encourage you to send your team an email and solicit their thoughts about sentinel events.  Dig deep and ask them which areas in your practice need the most improvement to reduce risk.

After the discussion, use this information to update your policies/procedures, make physical changes (i.e., medical devices, EHR systems), provide additional employee training, and more.

**The opinions and observations from the group/author are not a promise to exempt your practice from fines and penalties.  Research, modify, and tailor the advice to fit your specialty.