Why one hospital is considering ISO
Why one hospital is considering ISO
Newport (RI) Hospital is currently considering ISO certification in addition to its accreditation from The Joint Commission, says Jeanne M. Ehmann, RN, MS, CPHQ, director of performance evaluation and improvement.
"ISO standards are simple, direct, and standardize approaches to all processes," she says. "ISO principles expect an organization to continually audit itself."
The external auditor from an ISO certifier then checks the internal audits and processes. "This process allows an organization to identify gaps in its processes, and add rigor and reliability into its processes through controls and accountability," says Ehmann.
Benefits of ISO certification include document control standardization, policy and procedure coordination, process standardization and effectiveness assessment, and ongoing internal surveys, which emphasize continual improvement. "ISO standards ascribe annual survey audits with collaborative input. These steps help to keep an organization on a track of continual self-review and improvement," says Ehmann.
With ISO, the focus is on standardized processes, and the reliable execution of those processes. "The Joint Commission checks, 'Are you reliably doing what you say you are doing?' ISO principles permit you to know how you are doing, with documentation to support you because you are auditing yourself," says Ehmann. "There is a formal audit trail and feedback that is ongoing.
"Standardization is a tenet of ISO," adds Ehmann. For example, crash carts are located in the same location on every unit, so the code team or the float staff know where they are no matter what unit they're on. Likewise, utility rooms are organized the same way on every unit, so staff always know where to find items.
Nursing stations and computers are interchangeable, so that everyone knows the location of the monitors or patient education materials. "Access to forms and other documents is online or available centrally with the last known revision reference. You know you have the most recent document," says Ehmann.
ISO is well known outside of health care, because it is an international quality management system and structure. "It is recognized and utilized across other industries," says Ehmann.
Organizations accredited by The Joint Commission probably already practice many of the ISO principles of quality management, adds Ehmann. "Having our thinking aspire toward ISO principles and auditing helps us maintain readiness for The Joint Commission," she says.
[For more information, contact:
Jeanne M. Ehmann, RN, MS, CPHQ, Director, Performance Evaluation and Improvement, Newport Hospital, 11 Friendship Street, Newport, RI 02840. Phone: (401) 845-1552. E-mail: [email protected].]
Newport (RI) Hospital is currently considering ISO certification in addition to its accreditation from The Joint Commission, says Jeanne M. Ehmann, RN, MS, CPHQ, director of performance evaluation and improvement.Subscribe Now for Access
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