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What is JCAHO?
The Joint Commission on on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) is an independent, not-for-profit organization, established more than 50 years ago.
JCAHO is governed by a board that includes physicians, nurses, and consumers. JCAHO sets the standards by which health care quality is measured in America and around the world. JCAHO evaluates the quality and safety of care for nearly16,000 health care organizations.
To earn and maintain accreditation, organizations must participate in an extensive on-site review by a team of JCAHO health care professionals, at least once every three years. The purpose of the review is to evaluate the organization's performance in areas that affect patient care. Accreditation may then be awarded based on how well the organization met JCAHO standards.
What is the Quality Report?
‘The Quality Report is a document that provides the general public and health professionals with relevant and useful information about the quality and safety of Commission-accredited organizations’ – source: www.jcaho.org.
Why is JCAHO publicly releasing hospital information?
The release of this information is part of JCAHO’s planned strategy to provide information to the public in part with an ongoing quality initiative. The Quality Report is only one information source to use when researching a health organization.
How can the public access Quality Reports?
Direct links to our organization-specific performance information is available at www.providence.org/alaska/quality or www.qualitycheck.org effective July 15, 2004.
What information is provided in the reports?
National Quality Improvement Goals are the focus of the Quality Reports. These goals represent optimal care for treating patients with the following four conditions identified by JCAHO; heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, and pregnancy. These are the most common conditions treated by hospitals, and affect hundreds of thousands of patients.
Where does the data come from and how is it calculated?
The data is extracted from information collected by Medicare and Medicaid. Although the most recent data available is used for the calculations, it is often two to three years old. Information reported is not a specific reflection of any one provider’s care or any one physician or specialty in the community. National Quality Improvement Goals are calculated quarterly.
Are Quality Reports the only health care grading agency?
No. There are multiple reporting agencies besides JCAHO including Health Grades and Health Connect. All of the grading agencies rely on data reported by the health care organization to Medicare and Medicaid. The data used is typically two to three years old and may not reflect the most current data of the health care organization.
What patient safety initiatives is Providence working toward?
Patient safety and quality improvement measures are a number one priority at Providence Alaska Medical Center. Each year, we identify areas for improvement and set goals beyond national and state requirements to ensure that our care exemplifies the best. Currently, there are seven patient goals being monitored in 2004. For more information on our patient safety and quality improvement goals, visit www.providence.org/alaska/quality.
Where to go for more information:
Quality Improvement at Providence
Hospital Connect Web Site
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
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