Special report on licensure, accreditation and CON. JCAHO adopts shorter, more concise standards for 1992

The 1992 AMH is a key step in what will be major ongoing changes in the JCAHO's approach to accreditation. After January 1992, hospital administrators and medical staff leadership should expect that JCAHO surveyors will be looking for indications of a diligent effort to interpret and apply the continuous quality improvement requirements. Meeting the new and revised standards will require rapid implementation of the continuous quality improvement approach. The JCAHO has provided two resources to assist hospitals in this process. The first is a description of the continuous quality improvement process, in both the Introduction and in the Quality Assessment and Improvement chapter of the 1992 AMH. Also, the JCAHO has published a booklet entitled "Transitions from Quality Assurance to Continuous Quality Improvement," which is available from the JCAHO Customer Service Department. It is important that hospital administrators and medical staff leadership review the 1992 AMH promptly and make any changes necessary to comply with the new standards. Despite the fact that JCAHO has been criticized in recent years, accreditation remains important to the viability of the vast majority of hospitals, primarily because of its importance to licensing agencies and third party payors. As accreditation standards become more comparable to the Medicare Conditions of Participation, hospital accreditation will become even more closely linked to a facility's ability to receive or maintain Medicare provider status.