Alarm effectiveness no longer a national patient safety goal for hospitals: ECRI questions wisdom of JCAHO change.

For 2005, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) is no longer including alarm safety among its National Patient Safety Goals. JCAHO states that it has taken this action to keep the list of 2005 goals manageable. ECRI believes that removing the goal sends the wrong message to hospitals.