Radiology Procedural Documentation

Abstract

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) sets forth new standards for all subscribing institutions to follow. The JCAHO is not an organization that publishes documents that institutions must use; however, it sets forth goals and guidelines that each institution must adopt, adapt, and adhere to. This presentation allowed the class to understand the standards of the Joint Commission and adapt those standards to each varying institution. The presenters were shown the standards for leadership, standards for moderate sedation, and examples of the paperwork that some institutions have devised to meet their interpretation of the goals and standards at their institution. This presentation was an overview of the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, which is a 500-bed regional trauma center and one of the top hospitals in the country according to US News and World Report. The presenter discussed the department of radiology at UPMC (HUP), which performs over 275,000 diagnostic and procedural studies each year; the JCAHO standards and national patient safety goals for 2004 and 2005; and, finally, the strategies for developing paperwork to suit each individual's hospital's needs for meeting the goals of the JCAHO in the radiology department.