In case you missed the news, there will soon be an alternative in health accreditation.
Det Norske Veritas (DNV) has applied to CMS to become a hospital accreditation service. Unlike the JCAHO, DNV will use ISO 9001 Quality Managment System standards in the accreditation process.
DNV HealthCare Inc. has developed the National Integrated Accreditation for Healthcare Organizations (NIAHOSM ) program as an alternative to current accreditation paths.
NIAHOSM is the first Integrated AccreditationSM program for hospitals in the United States. DNV HealthCare Inc. defines Integrated AccreditationSM as a program that utilizes two or more independent sets of standards operating in the same audit process to produce one set of outcomes. NIAHOSM integrates the internationally recognized ISO 9001 Quality Management System standard with Medicare’s Hospital Conditions of Participation. The result is a fresh, new approach helping hospitals to improve patient care and safety in an economical manner without the aggravation of current accreditation options.
The JCAHO people should be concerned. Competition is long overdue. I can remember the great hospital JCAHO preparation process leading up to the feared survey. Unfortunately, if was never meant to protect the consumer or bring real change to healthcare delivery.
Go DNV.
Filed under: Uncategorized
