When a non-English speaking patient is hospitalized, the hospital must provide translation services. These services could include an on-site interpreter. Name at least one other option.
Everyone in healthcare knows about the struggles of medication reconciliation and its impact on patient safety and care. The Joint Commission takes notice, building standards and safety goals around safe use of medication, and every facility must take the time to look at its policies and...
A new player has entered the field for hospital accreditation: The Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality (CIHQ) has received deeming authority from CMS for acute care hospitals. CIHQ joins The Joint Commission, DNV, Inc., and the Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP) in this...
As of March 2013, more than 85% of eligible hospitals are participating in the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Records (EHR) Incentive Programs, and more than 75% have received incentive payments for meaningfully using EHR technology. EHRs are the future, surely and...
The hospital is a large, multifaceted organism with thousands of moving parts within dozens of units that are often separated by wings, streets, and buildings. The physical barriers, however, are nearly unmatched by the cultural ones-different techniques, opinions, and views of...
Briefings on Accreditation & Quality - Volume 24, Issue 10
Everyone in healthcare knows about the struggles of medication reconciliation and its impact on patient safety and care. The Joint Commission takes notice, building standards and safety goals around safe use of medication, and every facility must take the time to look at its policies and...
A new collaborative is bringing the meaningful use of checklists to the ambulatory and outpatient setting. The goal is to establish "zero harm," and a key effort in this is to effectively implement safe surgery checklists that include both clinical and safety culture...
Briefings on Accreditation & Quality - Volume 24, Issue 10
We talk often about the cost of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) violations in terms of regulatory fines and penalties, and we may also mention that similar privacy regulations with their own fines and penalties exist at the state level.
