A wise editor once remarked that a publication is only as good as the relationship it has with its readers. We want to keep this relationship strong, so that's why we're asking you to tell us what you think about BHC News.
During this past year, we made a number of changes as we transitioned to The Joint Commission’s new brand. We've also tried to use less “corporate speak” and address important questions that you ask.
So we want you to tell us: Are we getting better? Are we missing the mark? Are we providing you with the information you need from The Joint Commission? To participate in the survey, go to the behavioral health care website. It will take no more than five minutes of your time. The survey is open until October 15, 2007. We’ll share the results with you in the next issue.
Mary Cesare-Murphy, Ph.D.
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If you want to know what the next “new thing” will be in client safety and quality improvement, participate in The Joint Commission’s field reviews. Overall, the Joint Commission conducts about 10 field reviews annually through online surveys. Input from these reviews helps to identify best practices, anticipate concerns, and determine if changes are “the right thing to do,” says Joyce Marshall, senior research associate.
“People have misconceptions about the field reviews,” Marshall says (see “Field review mythbusters”). “However, filling out the online survey is a good way to let The Joint Commission know how revisions are going to affect your organization. It’s important to allow enough time to thoroughly read what the Joint Commission is proposing.”
We value your feedback
Any number of people from an organization can respond to a field review and, even if you think a field review doesn’t apply to your organization, you can still respond.
“We need to hear from behavioral health care organizations so that the standards expectations and language appropriately reflect their needs,” Marshall says. “We read and analyze every response. We use the data to confirm that we are on the right track or to redirect the proposed requirements.”
In addition to the field review, The Joint Commission gathers feedback through:
- Conference calls and expert panels
- Advisory groups
- Surveyors
- Current research
- WikiHealthCare™, a new internet-based collaborative forum (see article).
“It can take about six months from the time we close a field review to publication in an accreditation manual,” Marshall says. “If you want to check the status of a particular set of standards or revisions, check page 2 of Perspectives. The ‘In Sight’ section will tell you if revisions are in development, in committee or board review, being field reviewed, or if they’ve been approved.”
To view the most current field reviews, click here.
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- “My response will be traced back to my organization.”
BUSTED! All responses are confidential.
- “My response will affect my accreditation survey.”
BUSTED! The responses are not tracked to an organization.
- “My opinion doesn’t matter.”
BUSTED! Your opinion always matters, and we try to gather a lot of opinions from a wide range of care and service providers working in a variety of settings.
- “The requirements are not applicable to my organization.”
BUSTED! You have to tell us that a requirement is not applicable to your setting or that the language is not appropriate. This will help us when we’re writing the requirements for your segment of the behavioral health care field. |
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Mark R. Chassin, M.D., M.P.P., M.P.H., has been appointed to lead The Joint Commission as its next president, effective January 1, 2008.
Chassin is the Edmond A. Guggenheim professor of health policy and chairman of the Department of Health Policy at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, and executive vice president for Excellence in Patient Care at The Mount Sinai Medical Center. Prior to joining Mount Sinai, he served as commissioner of the New York State Department of Health. He is a board-certified internist and practiced emergency medicine for 12 years.
Dennis S. O’Leary, M.D., who has led The Joint Commission for the past 21 years, will become President Emeritus on January 1, 2008.
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The Joint Commission received notification from the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) that its deemed status for surveying opioid treatment programs has been renewed effective July 2007.
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Come see us at the 2007 American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence Conference in San Diego, Calif. In addition to a town hall meeting for accredited OTPs and a free educational session open to all, we will be available at the conference exhibit hall with valuable accreditation resources and information.
- Oct. 21: Opioid Treatment Program Accreditation Town Hall Meeting
- Oct. 23: Continuous Readiness: A Risk Management Tool for Emergency Preparedness
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There are two remaining educational conference calls for accredited opioid treatment Programs. These free conferences are made possible by a grant from CSAT. Topics include:
- Oct. 17: Best Practices in Addressing Cardiac Complications,
10:00 - 11:30 CST
- Nov. 14: Failure Mode Effect Analysis ― A Proactive Approach to Reducing Errors, 11:30 - 1:00 CST
Call Customer Service at (877) 223-6866 to register for the programs. If you have questions about OTP accreditation, contact Megan Marx at mmarx@jointcommission.org, or (720) 348-0672.
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Share your best practices, research findings or uses of data to improve performance with other behavioral health care professionals in a poster presentation at the Fourth National Conference on Behavioral Health Care in December in Chicago. For more information contact Susan Collins, Joint Commission Resources,
(630) 792-5408 or scollins@jcrinc.com. For the poster specifications, go to
www.jcrinc.com/media/DEP/2008Call/2007%20BHC%20Call%20for%20Poster.doc.
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There are no major additions to the 2008 Behavioral Health Care National Patient Safety Goals. However, the Requirement related to hand hygiene has been modified to allow for the use of the World Health Organization (WHO) Hand Hygiene Guidelines as an alternative to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines. In addition, the Requirement to limit and standardize drug concentrations that is part of the Goal to improve the safety of using medications will be retired as a NPSG, but organization compliance will continue to be evaluated as part of the Medication Management standards.
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Beginning October 1, The Joint Commission’s Quality Check® website will include health care organizations that are not accredited by The Joint Commission. The addition of non-Joint Commission accredited organizations provides health care consumers with more information and highlights the value of accreditation.
In addition, Quality Check users can locate health care providers by the types of services they provide. The new “Search by Service” feature is in addition to the existing search by name and type of provider. The inventory of services on the Application for Survey has been expanded to support the Search by Service feature. An organization can update their inventory of services at any time by accessing The Joint Commission extranet.
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Behavioral health care professionals around the world will be able to collaborate to develop performance improvement solutions through The Joint Commission’s WikiHealthCareTM application. This free, internet-based forum launched in June. It can be accessed through a link on The Joint Commission’s home page.
Register on the site and you can discuss content, edit existing content, and create new content which is then available to the entire community. Use of the test site is available at no cost. The content developed on the site is non-proprietary, open source information (i.e., owned by the community of contributing users). All users participate as individuals, not as representatives of their organization. Participation has NO impact on an organization's accreditation status.
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Behavioral health care staff members attend meetings and conventions throughout the year. In 2007, we’ll be at:
- Change Agent Conference, Anchorage, Alaska, Sept. 26-27
- Alliance for Children & Family Services, Anaheim, Calif., Oct. 17-19
- American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence, San Diego, Calif., Oct. 20-24
- American Association of Children’s Residential Centers, Orlando, Fla., Oct. 24-27
- Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers, San Diego, Calif., Oct. 31-Nov. 3
- Ohio Department of Mental Health, Columbus, Ohio, Nov. 1
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Tell us what you think about BHC News. A readership survey is open until Oct. 15, 2007.
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For information or to order products from Joint Commission Resources, Inc., go to www.jcrinc.com/Infomart.htm or call (877) 223-6866.
Education
4th Annual Joint Commission National Conference on Behavioral Health Care: Issues for Today, Actions for Tomorrow
This conference addresses the theoretical framework and practical strategies to improve client safety and care. The expert faculty includes thought leaders and hands-on clinicians drawn from psychology, social work, academics and the law. Research poster presentations extend the opportunity to learn about good practices.
- December 12-13, Chicago, Ill.*
Behavioral Health Care Update - Leading the Way to Quality and Safety: Advancing Your Behavioral Health Care Accreditation Efforts
Focuses on practical tips and information such as establishing successful service contracts, planning for emergencies, and conducting hand-off communication and medication reconciliation.
- November 7, Phoenix, Ariz.
- December 11, Chicago, Ill.*
*Save $150 when you register for both the 4th Annual Joint Commission National Conference on Behavioral Health Care and the Behavioral Health Care Update in December.
Publications
NEW! Issues in Human Resources for Behavioral Health Care
Presents practical explanations and guidance to the HR standards in the Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Behavioral Health Care.
Order code: HRBHC05SJ, $75
Accreditation Process Guide for Behavioral Health Care
Takes you step-by-step through the entire accreditation process, with practical, up-to-date information to help all levels of behavioral health care staff prepare for the on-site survey.
Order code: BHSP06SJ, $119
How to Meet the Most Challenging Joint Commission Requirements for Behavioral Health Care
Learn about the most common compliance challenges for behavioral health care organizations, and benefit from shared strategies and tips on meeting the requirements.
Order code: MCRBH-06, $75
A Practical Guide to Documentation in Behavioral Health Care
Your complete guide to good documentation practices that meet Joint Commission behavioral health care standards.
Order code: BH500SJ, $55
2007 National Patient Safety Goals for Behavioral Health Care
This laminated poster is an ideal way to communicate to staff what the goals require and serves as a colorful reminder about incorporating safety into everyday activities.
Order code: NPSGBCLP07SJ, $35, for a set of 10
Cost-effective Performance Improvement in Behavioral Health Care
Order code: PIBHC50SJ, $50
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- BHC Accreditation (630) 792-5790
- Standards Interpretation Group (630) 792-5900
- BHC Account Representative (630) 792-3007
- Customer Service (630) 792-5800
- Pricing Unit (630) 792-5115
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