I wonder how many hospitals are looking into this alternative from the Joint Commission and their mission creep via ModernHealthcare:
CMS grants accrediting authority to DNV Healthcare
Story posted: September 25, 2008 – 5:59 am EDT
The CMS will allow Det Norske Veritas Healthcare to accredit U.S. hospitals, a move that puts the company in a small group of “deemed” organizations and could bring an increased focus on international standards, most notably ISO 9001, to hospitals across the country.
…DNV Healthcare is expected to certify healthcare organizations as compliant with ISO 9001 quality management standards, as well as the Medicare conditions of participation.
The company’s authority to accredit hospitals will run through September 26, 2012.
Well, now.
Given the overall fun and excitement currently experienced in anticipation of a “Commission” visit, I can imagine the new “we should have been doing this all along but just found out about it” decrees that will flurry down from on high with an ISO inspection. I’ve been through both and the ISO was far more detailed and grueling. The upside was that even with the more intense scrutiny there was a feeling of professional collegiality and not the “you should be grateful for my presence” that I experienced with The Commission.
Just personal experience, your mileage may vary.
William sends
About time. Competition is always good, especially with monopolistic idiots like the joint commission (or whatever they call themselves this morning).
While ISO is a stone bitch to pass (mainly because of mindless documentation requirements) at least it’s a known quantity – unlike TJC where the mindless cretins make stuff up as they go along, and what they said at a hospital last week doesn’t apply at another (or even the same) hospital this week.