Ensuring patient safety is one of the most vital and challenging roles in health care. Public reporting of preventable medical errors has forced hospitals to report their medical error numbers accurately and to improve the quality of care. Organizations such as the Institute of Medicine recommend that all health care professionals strive to create a culture of safety and report medical errors, without fear of retribution or blame.

The Joint Commission continuously strives to improve the safety and quality of care provided to patients by providing health care accreditation and related services that support performance improvement. It demonstrates its commitment to this effort through patient safety standards, national patient safety goals, the Sentinel Event Policy, and patient safety research.

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