JCAHO accreditation considerations for the home care WOC nurse

Driven by competition and by pressure from managed care groups, home health care organizations are increasingly choosing to seek the accreditation offered by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). WOC nurses practice in a variety of health care settings, including home health care. Many home health care organizations are now accredited, or they will choose to become accredited in the future. This article reviews home care accreditation standards as set forth by JCAHO and the possible impact of the standards on individual WOC home care nursing practice.