When a new patient enters a hospital, staff membersgenerally follow the same routine. The admitting nurse asks the patient’s name, date of birth, symptoms, and any allergies to any medications....

Staff members are often trained to report a potential medical error, or near-miss event. However, more often than not, these events go unreported. In 2003, The University of Texas (UT) System, made up...

Is there a gold standard for the definition of a fall?...

The Joint Commission recently announced a clarification on Information Management standard IM.02.02.01. This standard deals with the area of abbreviations, acronyms, symbols, and dose designations....

Q: How should our organization meet compliance with educating patients and their families on multidrug-¬resistant organisms (MDRO), central line–associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI), a...

The National Quality Forum (NQF) released a set of 70 measures in January that guide the standardization of electronic data for quality improvement. The measures combine data from two or more electron...

When the Joint Commission released its "Power Pack" on medication storage it suggested at least two risk assessments (access to respiratory care medications and storage of electrolytes)....

The AHAP blog brings you more of the accreditation news you need, updated on a regular basis. The free online forum provides readers with a chance to learn about new accreditation regulations. The blo...

Accreditation alternatives Documentation control highlights ISO certification. July, p. 1. Switching accreditors and Medicare reimbursement. July, p. 4. Washington hospital moves to DNV accreditation....

Did you happen to note that the Survey Activity Guide (SAG) was last updated by The Joint Commission on February 11? We believe the subtle changes in the survey guide reflect potential changes in sur...