When addressing anesthesia and sedation guidelines, the best advice is not to follow the letter of the law, but to look more accurately at the intent of the requirements, Bud Pate, REHS, vice president of content and development of The Greeley Company, a division of HCPro, Inc., in...
Briefings on Accreditation & Quality - Volume 21, Issue 12
If you stay around long enough in this field, the issues just cycle back. This year in the annual Joint Commission Executive Briefings, the issue of standing orders once again was raised. MM.04.04.01, EP 1 defines standing orders as pre-written medication orders and specific instructions from...
Briefings on Accreditation & Quality - Volume 21, Issue 12
How quickly can you call up data on your nurses’ training and skill sets?
Midland (TX) Memorial Hospital recently changed its process for tracking online training and demonstrated proficiencies among its nurses. The change has resulted in a real-time information tracking program that has...
Briefings on Accreditation & Quality - Volume 21, Issue 11
Every September at Executive Briefings, The Joint Commission announces its most commonly cited standards for the first half of the year. 2010 is no different, and in fact saw a great deal of carryover from last year’s most problematic hospital challenges. From January to June 2010, the single...
Briefings on Accreditation & Quality - Volume 21, Issue 11
Starting in 2011, Joint Commission surveyors will begin looking at—but not scoring—new standards for patient-centered communication. These standards were approved in December 2009 and published to the field for review the following January.
Briefings on Accreditation & Quality - Volume 21, Issue 11
Several major issues have been addressed or streamlined headed into 2011, The Joint Commission stated during its recent Executive Briefings session in New York City. Many of these changes are intended to put an end to ongoing problematic standards, end several-year-long debates, and clarify...
Briefings on Accreditation & Quality - Volume 21, Issue 11
Has your facility considered going restraint free? Have you succeeded? According to the most recent benchmarking survey conducted by the Association for Healthcare Accreditation Professionals (AHAP), a large percentage of hospitals have at least explored the option of going restraint free,...
Briefings on Accreditation & Quality - Volume 21, Issue 10
When Fredonia (KS) Regional Hospital looked into updating its utilization review program, it focused on two key areas: involving the right people and being aware of its communication with the medical staff and its bylaws.
Briefings on Accreditation & Quality - Volume 21, Issue 10
In July, the Association for Healthcare Accreditation Professionals (AHAP) established a Facebook page for its members. Interestingly enough, several of AHAP’s listserv members responded by advising that their organizations not allow participation on Facebook.
Briefings on Accreditation & Quality - Volume 21, Issue 10
One of the key activities in any survey—mock or the real thing—are those precious moments when surveyors corner a frontline staff member to answer some pertinent questions. The fact is that much of your survey success rests in the hands of the folks at the point of care and point of service in...