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JCAHO releases ’07 Goals, tweaks scoring

Accreditation Connection, June 19, 2006

The JCAHO last Monday officially announced the 2007 National Patient Safety Goals in a press release. But a few days later, it quietly posted the 07 goals implementation expectations to its Web site with a change that has the field buzzing.

That change affects how the goals will be scored beginning January 1, 2007, when the new, annual list of goals must be implemented in all JCAHO-accredited organizations. Specifically, the goals are now scored like any other element of performance (EP) in the standards manuals, such as the Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Hospitals.

For example, the 2006 goals are scored at the A-level EP is scored "yes" or "no," as in a policy; you either have one or you don't. A C-level EP is scored on a rated basis, like observations.

With the exception of prohibited abbreviations and hand-hygiene, all other goals previously were A EPs. Moving goals to the C EP designation means organizations surveyed after January 1 may now be in partial compliance with a C-level goal and not receive a requirement for improvement. And, as with C-level EPs in the standards chapters, many now require measures of success for noncompliance, during surveys or during periodic performance reviews.

Click here to see the implementation expectations and the new scoring designations. And click here to see the list of all 2007 goals for each accreditation program.

Accreditation Connection's parent newsletter, Briefings on JCAHO, and its sister publication, Briefings on Patient Safety, will follow the goals in depth in its monthly issues.

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