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Quality improvement and peer review professionals must continue to focus on Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance long after the deadlines pass, say experts, who caution that protecting sensitive data will be a constant worry even after you have the appropriate mechanisms in place.
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The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations recent announcement that it will switch to unannounced surveys beginning January 2006 means quality improvement professionals will have to dramatically change the way they think about compliance with standards and ensure that the rest of the organization follows suit.
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The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations recently announced its intention to create a new standard addressing ED crowding for the 2004 Hospital Accreditation Manual, and the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) in Des Plaines, IL, responded immediately with suggestions for how the accrediting body might address the problem.
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New data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that the number of ED visits increased by 20% over a 10-year period, from 89.8 million in 1992 to 107.5 million in 2001.
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Consider using electronic charts instead of dictation
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Accreditation carries with it questions, some specific to individual organizations, but many that apply universally. In this section, ED Accreditation Update will provide experts answers to your accreditation questions, as well as tips from organizations that fared well during their survey process.
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The Joint Commission is analyzing input received during an online field review of proposed changes to its infection control standards as part of a push to curb the occurrence of deadly nosocomial infections.
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As hospitals continue their efforts to comply with the National Patient Safety Goals issued by the Oakbrook Terrace, IL-based Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, some risk management and quality assurance experts are issuing a strong warning: Dont go overboard with your efforts to write new policies and procedures because they can create unnecessary liability risks.
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Emergency practitioners must understand patients rights regarding informed consent. Rapid diagnosis and treatment can be lifesaving, and any delay in obtaining consent may have devastating consequences to the patient. Emergency physicians have an obligation to make decisive and rapid treatment decisions. In addition, they must know when patients can refuse treatment and when consent is not needed. Finally, patients can and do refuse treatments that may be lifesaving. The emergency physician must ensure that the patient is competent to make these decisions. A mistake will bring the wrath of disgruntled family members who undoubtedly will bring suit for negligence. This issue of
ED Legal Letter illustrates the issues that emergency physicians encounter regarding informed consent and the exceptions that may apply.
