Hospitals can check JCAHO compliance

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations has released a checklist for hospitals that want to check compliance with new and existing standards. Available for $65, the checklist is designed to help facilities understand whether they need to make changes prior to a survey. Along with standards already in effect, the publication includes questions about five standards that are new or revised, including:

• Restraint and seclusion
• Medical staff
• Patient and family education
• Management of information
• Management of the environment of care

The checklist is in a workbook format that helps users determine what actions are needed to ensure compliance, determine who responsible parties are for a particular standard, and track progress towards compliance.

For more information on the publication, contact the Joint Commission at (630) 792-5800 or visit the Web site at www.jcaho.org.