(NQF: Washington, D.C.) -- Recognizing that patient safety remains a major hurdle in the United States, the National Quality Forum (NQF) endorsed 48 voluntary consensus standards focused on measuring the performance of acute-care hospitals, including measures addressing pediatric safety, hospital readmission, and prevention and care of venous thromboembolism.

“It has been difficult to make real progress in patient safety in this country, despite the efforts of many highly skilled, committed professionals and innovations in technology and treatment,” says Janet Corrigan, president and CEO of the National Quality Forum. “In part, that is because we are all using different yardsticks to measure safety, which makes it difficult to identify and focus efforts on areas most in need of improvement and to measure and quantify progress. NQF-endorsed standards represent consensus of the experts and leaders from all corners of the healthcare industry, and can make a significant difference in helping hospitals measure what matters most to truly improve hospital care.”

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