NEWS BRIEF

JCAHO manuals sport new look, new options

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) will debut a new look and new options for home care organizations preparing for survey.

The 2001-2002 Comprehensive Accreditations Manual for Home Care will be divided into two main sections covering common standards that apply to all home care agencies and segment-specific standards. The latter category will examine the four main services covered under the Home Care Accreditation Program: home health (including personal care and support services), hospice, pharmacy, and home medical equipment (including clinical respiratory and rehabilitation technology).

Additionally, for the first time, JCAHO is offering segment-specific manuals, which will be available in October. The manuals, which have been rewritten in a clearer, more concise style, show only two additional standards for 2001 — pain management (across all segments) and bereavement (hospice only).

Other changes include streamlined, segment-specific standard intent statements; more consistent scoring systems for both common and segment-specific standards; the division of the accreditation decision grid into sections that are common to all home care organizations and those that are segment-specific; and a new "Compliance Tips" section that will replace the "Examples of Implementations."