Proof of effectiveness is not required
January 1, 2000 2 minutes read
Proof of effectiveness is not required
Does the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations look for proof that the education programs at an institution are effective? Must you provide outcome studies that show the value of the programs you have set in place? No, says Patricia Staten, MS, RN, associate director at the Joint Commission in Oakbrook Terrace, IL.
Education must be an interactive process, with patients and families having an opportunity to ask questions of staff. However, the Joint Commission does not require that patients be given a "test" of some sort to prove that they really did comprehend and understand the information you gave them.
The surveyor will look to see how education takes place. "Sometimes this will involve a patient interview. The surveyors will go and talk to a patient and ask them what they had as far as education about their illness. In this way, the surveyors can ascertain whether or not the education is taking place," says Staten.
In addition to ensuring that education took place, surveyors want to see evidence that the patient’s learning capabilities were assessed so that the education is tailored to the individual. "Sur veyors will look to see what the institution has in place for various levels of education, various levels of understanding, and for culture as well. We make sure they take all of that into consideration when they develop their policies and procedures," says Staten. For example, for patients who can’t read, a mechanism to show videos should be in place, such as a closed-circuit television system.
However, patients have a responsibility, too. They are responsible to carry out instructions and to ask for information they don’t have. The psychological impact of a mastectomy may make patients unwilling to learn at that time. What is required of a health care institution is that the teaching and response be documented, says Staten.
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