CMS is offering providers a version of its online training for surveyors on the new emergency preparedness Conditions of Participation (CoP), set to go into effect November 15. Use this test—taken from the course material—to see how well you do before and after taking the training. The answer...
Briefings on Accreditation & Quality - Volume 28, Issue 11
This September, a Missouri hospital found out the hard way that when not addressed quickly, restraint and seclusion deficiencies can threaten a hospital’s ability to remain open, as well as who keeps their job.
Briefings on Accreditation & Quality - Volume 28, Issue 11
While last year The Joint Commission issued a Sentinel Event Alert to hospitals urging them to do a better job of identifying suicidal ideation in patients, this year the accreditor is doubling down, issuing specific warnings in Joint Commission publications and FAQs outlining concerns about...
Briefings on Accreditation & Quality - Volume 28, Issue 11
Handoffs (also known as transitioning) are the passing of patients between caregivers, plus the information that caregivers exchange during the process. The latter represents a major point of failure for healthcare; each handoff runs the risk of key treatment information being garbled, forgotten...
Briefings on Accreditation & Quality - Volume 28, Issue 11
In what is likely a result of a new survey matrix, new or revised Life Safety and Environment of Care requirements, and increased pressure from CMS, hospitals scored much worse across the board on The Joint Commission’s list of most challenging standards for the first half of 2017, compared to...
Briefings on Accreditation & Quality - Volume 28, Issue 10
There’s no more excuses for getting ready to meet the new emergency preparedness Conditions of Participation (CoP). The final version of the rules came out in late June, and surveyors with CMS and The Joint Commission will begin assessing compliance with the new emergency...
Briefings on Accreditation & Quality - Volume 28, Issue 10
Start delegating work now to get your facility ready by January
The Joint Commission finally has prepublished its new and revised pain management standards. They’ll go into effect on January 1, and there is a lot of work to do between now and then. The newest pain management standards call...
Briefings on Accreditation & Quality - Volume 28, Issue 10
Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a key focus for surveyors. Schedule drills for staff on finding the emergency carts with the proper drugs to treat MH, ensure the drugs in those carts are kept up to date, and document education and training in their use.
Briefings on Accreditation & Quality - Volume 28, Issue 10
The annual CMS evaluation of accreditation organizations (AO) is out and in the hands of Congress. CMS thinks all the AOs aren’t doing as well as they should in catching violations and is promising Congress that it’s actively working to change that.
Briefings on Accreditation & Quality - Volume 28, Issue 9
Two experts explain what new accreditation specialists need to know
The accreditation world can be a perplexing place. Accreditation specialists are expected to be up to date on forever-shifting healthcare regulations. They have to make sure every aspect of their facility is compliant...