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The 1989 JCAHO (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations)
regulations have been around long enough to be thoroughly time-tested. Everyone
in the field of healthcare is aware of these regulations and their implications
on the smooth running of a facility. Decision-makers know that they need to
meet certain standards.
JCAHO is more than merely an acronym. It is part of every hospital's and
healthcare facility's life. JCAHO accreditation is key to the financial and
organizational health of each healthcare facility that falls under its
umbrella.
The mission of JCAHO is, in their words, to use standards of quality assurance,
plant technology and safety management to help hospitals and their clinical
engineering departments the chance to make changes for the better. The
regulations have caused healthcare facilities to look at themselves and
evaluate their programs.
One section of key importance to hospitals in the JCAHO accreditation process is
the "Environment of Care" standard.
Critical areas falling under this category include:
Safety Management
Security Management
Hazardous Materials and Waste Management
Emergency Management
Fire Safety
Medical Equipment Management
Utilities Management
In demonstrating proficiency for JCAHO accreditation, time and efficiency are
crucial. The GRAND-PM program allows easy monitoring and documentation of
errors, whether they are caused by operator or equipment.
Within each of the function outlined, a hospital can create an optional list of
Error Codes. The GRAND-PM reports will enable management to monitor and analyze
completion of scheduled and unscheduled work by Environment of Care (EOC)
function.
With this software program, it is easy to get an at-a-glance look at completion
of work in each function, broken down by month. Additionally, the GRAND-PM
features allow for the breaking down of work orders in each function by error
code, making it a simpler task for analyze needs for additional education or
replacement of equipment.
In addition to a smoother and more efficient maintenance department, this
particular software program can assist with another part of the JCAHO mandate
-- that being the annual continuing education requirement for those who use or
maintain equipment.
While there has been some dissatisfaction among hospital officials over this
JCAHO provision, such a stipulation gains relevance when training can be
specific in nature. The use of specific software such as GRAND-PM can track and
identify problem areas and provide a blueprint for the type of training that is
needed.
Done properly, an evaluation helps fix problems, helps target training to make
it more vital, and can save time and money in the long run.
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