ED accreditation update. Physicians, medical staff may report safety concerns without fear of disciplinary action.

Educating your staff about The Joint Commission's requirements for concerns about hospital safety and quality of care requires the ED manager to set a tone of openness and cooperation, while at the same time emphasizing your department's role in addressing such concerns: * The ED should be the first place that staff members communicate quality and safety concerns. It is only when a problem is not addressed that they should take the issue to hospital administration and, if necessary, The Joint Commission. * A single event should not trigger a report to The Joint Commission, unless it is unusually serious. Otherwise, only a series of events should trigger a report. * Reassure your staff that you care about what is reported and will act quickly on it. Educate your staff about the reporting forms, and follow up with random audits to ensure compliance.