New Features:
- Side-by-side document comparison where recommended changes are highlighted for easy comparison
- Enhanced role-based security
- Index view or Table of Contents view provides an easy way to find and retrieve policies
- Customizable e-mail notifications
- Performance and speed enhancements
Healthcare Policy Manager
Standards Improvement Initiative
By Sathya Narasimhan, Compliance Specialist with Indidge Systems
The STANDARDS IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVE (SII) was launched in August 2006 as part of The Joint Commission's continuous quality improvement efforts . This initiative strives to improve The Joint Commission's standards by:
- Clarifying standards language
- Ensuring that standards are program-specific
- Deleting redundant or non-essential standards
- Consolidating similar standards
Users will enjoy the following benefits.
- Standards, rationale and elements of performance will be easier for health care organizations to interpret and employ.
- Scoring will be simpler.
- The decision process will more accurately reflect organizational performance related to safety and quality of care.
- Manuals will be easier to navigate
As part of The Joint Commission's Standards Improvement Initiative (SII), the Periodic Performance Review process and availability of the on-line PPR will be affected. The PPR will be off-line from December 1, 2008 until January 1, 2009. During that time, the new standards and scoring methodology will be loaded onto the site. Therefore, the due dates for completing the PPR are being changed as follows:
- Organizations with PPR due dates from October 1, 2008 through December 31, 2008 are not required to submit a 2008 PPR.
- Organizations that wish to document Plans of Action for requirements for improvement (Full PPR or post-survey Option 2 PPR) must submit the 2008 PPR by Sunday, November 30, 2008 at 11:59 p.m. Central Time.
When the PPR is re-activated on January 1, 2009, SII Phase I programs (ambulatory care, critical access hospital, home care, hospital, and office-based surgery) will need to repopulate the Open PPR. (Note: The PPR is optional for CAHs, OBS, and Long Term Care Option 2.) The Open PPR will include a link to a data table (available throughout 2009) that provides copies of all of the organization's data that was saved on the Open PPR. Organizations can print a variety of reports to help repopulate the PPR and they will be given ample time to do so. Automatic submission due date extensions will be granted: PPR due dates in January 2009 will be extended 90 days and PPR due dates in February and March 2009 will be extended 60 days. SII Phase II programs (behavioral health care, laboratory, and long term care) will need to re-evaluate only those standards labeled as requiring an update. In addition:
- PPR Option 2 and 3 surveys will not be scheduled in November or December 2008. PPR Option 2 or 3 surveys scheduled for 2009 will be conducted using the 2009 standards.
- For organizations with PPR due dates in January, February, or March 2009, the "Begin Submission" link will not be activated in the Open PPR during the fourth quarter of 2008; it will become available on January 1, 2009.
SII is limited to changes of current standards; it is not designed to introduce new requirements. Changes have been made to clarify the language of the standards, delete duplicative requirements, renumber and reorganize the standards, and improve the scoring and decision processes. Work continues on Phase II programs: behavioral health care, laboratory, and long term care. Phase II implementation is planned for January 2010; however, the revised scoring and decision methods will be effective January 1, 2009 for all accreditation and certification programs (including Phase I and Phase II programs).
After being away on business, Tim thought it would be nice to bring his wife a little gift. "How about some perfume?" he asked the cosmetics clerk.
She showed him a bottle costing $50.
"That's a bit much," said Tim, so she returned with a smaller bottle for $30.
"That's still quite a bit," Tim complained.
Growing annoyed, the clerk brought out a tiny $15 bottle.
"What I mean," said Tim, "is I'd like to see something really cheap."
The clerk handed him a mirror.