HealthBlawg

David Harlow's Health Care Law Blog

    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • RSS
    • Email
  • About
  • Archives
  • Podcast
  • Press
  • Awards/Reviews
  • HIPAA
  • HCSM

MGH prepares for its next Joint Commission survey

November 18, 2008

The fact that a hospital has a Joint Commission survey due within the next year or so is not ordinarily newsworthy.  However, the Boston Globe spilled some ink today on the Massachusetts General Hospital's upcoming survey and the General's preparations — including a mock survey, which is a standard preparation tool, particularly for facilities that have been working on improving their performance.  Last survey cycle, MGH was dinged for issues including recordkeeping and lax handwashing practices (look down a few grafs), and the mock survey was not quite perfect.  Then again, who's perfect?

The Globe's Jeffrey Krasner reported:

In a recent e-mail to staff, Dr. Peter Slavin, Mass. General's president, said the survey showed some areas still need improvement and must be addressed "immediately."

Slavin said the hospital has to make sure staff members better follow "universal protocols," or sets of instructions for individual procedures; ensure that patients have physicals 24 hours before surgery; improve the documentation of anesthesia and sedation procedures; and more closely monitor patients who are in pain.

The hospital has also begun an internal communications program, called Excellence Every Day.

The General seems to be emphasizing the continuous quality improvement approach to hospital operations, which is laudable.  It also brings to mind the focus of the Joint Commission's new rival, DNV.

The article continued:

It found that while there is perfect compliance with universal protocols in operating rooms, throughout the entire hospital the step was only followed 84 percent of the time . . . . In conducting a universal protocol, doctors and nurses review an upcoming procedure, make sure they have all the necessary supplies, and come to a "full stop," in which everyone stops what they're doing and makes eye contact before proceeding.

Survey or no, this is clearly an important effort, and one the General can devote resources to as it strives to maintain its level of clinical excellence.

David Harlow
The Harlow Group LLC
Health Care Law and Consulting

Filed Under: Health care policy, Health Law, Hospitals, Massachusetts, Patient safety

you might also like:

  1. The Joint Commission's latest on medical staff bylaws, six years on

  2. MS 1.20: Has the Joint Commission come to its senses on medical staff bylaws?

  3. MGH pediatric heart surgery: Volume, volume, volume, or, How low can you go?

« CMS imaging efficiency measures released for public comment
Grand Rounds coming to a billboard near you »

Follow me on Twitter

David Harlow 💉😷 Follow 42,881 17,567

Mastodon @healthblawg@c.im #HealthCare #MedDevice #Compliance #Privacy @MyOmnipod #HIPAA #digitalhealth #HarlowOnHC #pinksocks Tweets are tweets No more no less

healthblawg
healthblawg avatar; David Harlow 💉😷 @healthblawg ·
1h 1618728026862149632

ICYMI> Dan Greenleaf, CEO of Modivcare on Digital Tools with a Human Touch — Harlow on Healthcare https://healthblawg.com/2022/01/dan-greenleaf-modivcare.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ReviveOldPost #digitalhealth #hcldr #hitsm

Image for the Tweet beginning: ICYMI>  Dan Greenleaf, CEO Twitter feed image.
Reply on Twitter 1618728026862149632 Retweet on Twitter 1618728026862149632 0 Like on Twitter 1618728026862149632 0 Twitter 1618728026862149632
healthblawg avatar; David Harlow 💉😷 @healthblawg ·
1h 1618723806939340806

The Harlow #Healthcare #Innovation Daily https://paper.li/healthblawg/1489156253?share_id=103fa990-9dc1-11ed-ad57-fa163e65ae25 #digitalhealth #hcldr #HarlowOnHC Thanks to @MailMyStatement @NovaBACKUP #digitalhealth #healthtech

Reply on Twitter 1618723806939340806 Retweet on Twitter 1618723806939340806 0 Like on Twitter 1618723806939340806 0 Twitter 1618723806939340806
healthblawg avatar; David Harlow 💉😷 @healthblawg ·
8h 1618627492033531906

The latest Harlow On Health Care Daily #HarlowOnHC #digitalhealth #healthcare #innovation #privacy #hcldr Thx: @EricTopol @raeannephd @MobiHealthNews #digitalhealth #healthtech

Image for twitter card

It's time for banks to get more intelligent about artificial intelligence

americanbanker.com Artificial intelligence now has the potential to fundamentally change customers' relationships with banks...

paper.li

Reply on Twitter 1618627492033531906 Retweet on Twitter 1618627492033531906 0 Like on Twitter 1618627492033531906 0 Twitter 1618627492033531906
Load More
Follow me on Mastodon

HIPAAtools

Hipaatools

The HIPAA Compliance Toolkit

The Walking Gallery

The Walking Gallery

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Categories
  • Archives
  • Podcast Interviews
  • HIPAAtools
  • HIPAA Compliance
  • Health Care Social Media
  • Speaking
  • In the Press
  • Blogroll

David Harlow

David Harlow

HealthcareNOW Radio

Connect with David

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Email
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Book Me: Speaking
  • About
  • The Harlow Group LLC
Copyright © 2006–2023
HealthBlawg is a publication of The Harlow Group LLC. See Copyright notice and disclaimer.
Fair use with attribution and a link is encouraged. Click for more on David Harlow.
[footer_backtotop text="Back to top" href="#"]