• E-mail
• Print
• RSS

Joint Commission promises changes with Standards Improvement Initiative

Accreditation Connection, May 21, 2007

In an effort to make itsstandards better, more readable, and easier to locate, The Joint Commission is in the process of unveiling the first wave of changes as part of its Standards Improvement Initiative (SII), the organization announced in a press conference last week.

The SII, launched in 2006 to improve The Joint Commission's quality efforts, is looking closely at all the standards in the accreditation manuals. In the past month, the SII was responsible for the release of proposed revisions to the infection control and performance improvement standards up for field review. Coming next are the proposed revisions for information management standards, due sometime this month, according to Carol Gilhooley, director of standards for The Joint Commission.

"Our initial feedback is that the revised standards are easier to understand, more user-friendly, and are written in a more logical order," Gilhooley said during the press conference.

During the call, Joint Commission staff members said the SII committee is also considering the following:

• Making changes to the scoring system, specifically standards scored as a B standard
• Merging the provision of care standards with information management standards
• Eliminating bullets within EPs
• Reducing the number of FAQs
• Working with CMS to create more clarity between the two organizations' guidelines

• E-mail to a Colleague
• Print
• RSS
• Archive