The Joint Commission continues to stress the importance of infection prevention by including it as a 2020 National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG) for all eight of its programs.

The infection prevention NPSG — goal #7 — is described as "Reduce the risk of healthcare-associated infections."

For the hospital and critical access hospital programs, the infection prevention NPSG includes the following standards:

• NPSG.07.01.01: Use the hand cleaning guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the World Health Organization. Set goals for improving hand cleaning. Use the goals to improve hand cleaning.

• NPSG.07.03.01: Use proven guidelines to prevent infections that are difficult to treat.

• NPSG.07.04.01: Use proven guidelines to prevent infection of the blood from central lines.

• NPSG.07.05.01: Use proven guidelines to prevent infection after surgery.

• NPSG.07.06.01: Use proven guidelines to prevent infections of the urinary tract that are caused by catheters.

For the nursing care center program, the infection prevention NPSG includes the following standards:

• NPSG.07.01.01: Use the hand cleaning guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the World Health Organization. Set goals for improving hand cleaning. Use the goals to improve hand cleaning.

• NPSG.07.03.01: Use proven guidelines to prevent infections that are difficult to treat.

• NPSG.07.04.01: Use proven guidelines to prevent infection of the blood from central lines.

• NPSG.07.06.01: Use proven guidelines to prevent infections of the urinary tract that are caused by catheters.

For the ambulatory healthcare and office-based surgery programs, the infection prevention NPSG includes the following standards:

• NPSG.07.01.01: Use the hand cleaning guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the World Health Organization. Set goals for improving hand cleaning. Use the goals to improve hand cleaning.

• NPSG.07.05.01: Use proven guidelines to prevent infection after surgery.

For the behavioral healthcare, home care and laboratory programs, the infection prevention NPSG includes the following standard:

• NPSG.07.01.01: Use the hand cleaning guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the World Health Organization. Set goals for improving hand cleaning. Use the goals to improve hand cleaning.

The 2020 NPSGs become effective Jan. 1, 2020.