Patient safety goals, such as those established by The Joint Commission (e.g., National Patient Safety Goals), are designed to address specific, high-priority safety issues in healthcare settings to drive targeted improvements.
Option A (Evaluate safety-related near misses): While near-miss reporting is part of patient safety, patient safety goals focus on proactive interventions to prevent errors, not evaluating near misses after they occur.
Option B (Assist surveyors during the accreditation process): Patient safety goals are not primarily for surveyors but for guiding organizations to improve safety practices. They may be reviewed during accreditation, but this is a secondary function.
Option C (Aggregate safety data to improve performance): Aggregating safety data supports quality improvement, but patient safety goals are specific, actionable objectives (e.g., correct patient identification) rather than a data aggregation process.
Option D (Promote specific improvements in safety): This is the correct answer. NAHQ CPHQ study materials and The Joint Commission define patient safety goals as targeted initiatives to address critical safety issues, such as reducing medication errors or preventing surgical mistakes, by promoting evidence-based practices.
[Reference: NAHQ CPHQ Study Guide, Domain 1: Patient Safety, describes patient safety goals as specific, evidence-based strategies to improve safety outcomes, as outlined by organizations like The Joint Commission., , , , ]
