Combined CARF-JCAHO survey now a reality
Combined CARF-JCAHO survey now a reality
Effort intended to save administrators time
Two major accreditation bodies for rehab hospitals have taken their efforts to coordinate surveying activities one step further with the implementation of an enhanced combined survey process.
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and CARF . . . The Rehabilitation Accreditation Commission are conducting joint surveys for freestanding rehabilitation hospitals. The effort is expected to reduce staff time spent preparing for and conducting these accreditation activities by hospitals being evaluated.
"When we were surveyed by JCAHO in 1996 and CARF in 1997, the time spent preparing for both of these on different occasions was pretty substantial," says Michael Caputo, assistant administrator of Mediplex Rehabilitation Hospital in Bowling Green, KY. The facility served as a beta test site for moderate integration of the enhanced JCAHO/CARF initiative. "We’ve probably reduced the time spent preparing for our joint survey [which is planned for fall 1999] by 30% to 40%."
Each accrediting body will continue to award its own accreditation decision, issue its own survey report, and charge its customer survey fee, according to a joint statement released by the two organizations.
Since the enhancement was implemented in late February, CARF has received positive feedback from participating institutions, says Sally Saadeh, director of special projects for the medical rehabilitation division at CARF. To date, four surveys have been completed using the combined interview method.
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