In the ever-evolving world of healthcare, ensuring patient safety remains a top priority. The International Patient Safety Goals (IPSG), established by the Joint Commission International (JCI), provide a framework for healthcare organizations worldwide to minimize risks and improve patient care quality. These goals are essential for maintaining a culture of safety in all healthcare settings.
What Are the International Patient Safety Goals?
The International Patient Safety Goals (IPSG) consist of six critical objectives designed to enhance patient care and reduce medical errors. They are:
- Identify Patients Correctly
Accurate patient identification is fundamental in preventing treatment errors. Two patient identifiers, such as name and date of birth, must always be used to ensure correct identification. - Improve Effective Communication
Miscommunication among healthcare providers can lead to errors. Ensuring timely, clear, and accurate communication, especially during patient handovers, is vital for safety. - Improve the Safety of High-Alert Medications
Medications with a higher risk of causing harm require strict protocols for prescribing, dispensing, and administration. - Ensure Correct-Site, Correct-Procedure, and Correct-Patient Surgery
Surgical errors can have catastrophic consequences. Preoperative verification and marking of the surgical site are critical components of this goal. - Reduce the Risk of Healthcare-Associated Infections
Infection prevention through hand hygiene, sterilization, and vaccination protects patients and healthcare providers alike. - Reduce the Risk of Patient Harm Resulting from Falls
Assessing fall risks and implementing safety measures, such as non-slip footwear and assistive devices, can prevent injuries in vulnerable patients.
Why Are Patient Safety Goals Important?
Adhering to these goals ensures better patient outcomes, enhances trust in healthcare institutions, and reduces the incidence of preventable errors. Moreover, compliance with these standards is often required for accreditation by organizations like JCI.
Resources for IPSG
For detailed guidance, healthcare providers can refer to the International Patient Safety Goals PDF published by JCI. This document outlines strategies and actionable steps to implement each goal effectively.
Creating a Culture of Safety
Implementing the goal of patient safety requires a collective effort from all healthcare team members. Continuous training, audits, and adherence to protocols are essential for fostering a safety-first environment.
At MedElevus, we prioritize patient safety education and offer resources tailored to healthcare professionals. Explore our training modules to stay updated on best practices for achieving international patient safety goals in your organization. Together, we can build a safer healthcare system for all.
🆕 IPSG 2025 Update: Streamlining for Impact
In 2025, the Joint Commission International (JCI) refined the structure of the International Patient Safety Goals (IPSGs) to better align with current global healthcare priorities. While the commitment to patient safety remains steadfast, one key structural change is now official: the IPSG framework has been reduced from six goals to five.
🟠 What Changed in 2025?
The former sixth goal, titled:
“Reduce the Risk of Patient Harm Resulting from Falls”
has been removed from the universal IPSG list. However, fall prevention continues to be a critical element in many care settings and is now addressed within specific accreditation programs—such as long-term care, home care, or ambulatory care—rather than in the general hospital IPSG structure.
✅ The Current Five International Patient Safety Goals (2025)
- Identify Patients Correctly
– Use at least two identifiers (e.g., name, date of birth) to prevent misidentification. - Improve Effective Communication
– Ensure critical information is communicated accurately and timely, especially during handoffs. - Improve the Safety of Medications
– Focus on the safe handling of high-alert drugs and medication reconciliation protocols. - Ensure Safe Surgery
– Emphasize surgical site marking, time-outs, and correct patient/procedure verification. - Reduce the Risk of Health Care–Associated Infections (HAIs)
– Maintain robust hand hygiene, sterilization, and infection prevention practices.
🔍 What Happened to Fall Prevention?
While no longer listed as a standalone IPSG, fall prevention remains a high-priority safety measure. It is now managed through institutional safety protocols and setting-specific JCI standards, encouraging a more customized and integrated approach depending on the nature of care.
📌 Note from JCI:
“International Patient Safety Goals vary by setting/accreditation program.”
(JCI Official Statement, 2025)
🌍 Why This Change Matters
This streamlined structure reflects a strategic move by JCI to emphasize core global risks that transcend all healthcare environments, while allowing for more targeted safety interventions at the program level. Healthcare institutions are still expected to rigorously manage patient falls—but with more flexibility and context-specific policies.
At MedElevus, we remain committed to providing up-to-date education aligned with JCI standards. Explore our patient safety training modules to help your team implement these updated goals confidently and competently in 2025.