The Joint Commission also has added new requirements to the goal for medication reconciliation. Hospitals are advised to provide a complete and reconciled list of the patient's medications directly to the patient and explain the list at the time of discharge. In those settings where medications were used minimally or for a short duration, such as the emergency department, the hospital is required to perform a modified medication reconciliation process.
Also new in 2009 is a requirement to eliminate transfusion errors related to patient misidentification. Before beginning a blood or blood component transfusion, hospital staff must match the patient to the blood during a two-person bedside verification process.
Hospitalists, who are already on the payroll, are likely to be involved in implementing the new requirements. DR. MICHOTA