PS 1997; 48:359-363
Copyright © 1997 by American Psychiatric Association
JCAHO mental health care network accreditation as a performance improvement project
DA Klegon
Massachusetts Department of Mental Health, Brockton Multi-Service Center 02402, USA.
In June 1995 the Southeastern Area of the Massachusetts Department of
Mental Health became the third health care network, and first mental health
care network, to be accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation
of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) under its new network standards. This
paper provides a brief overview of how the Southeastern Area network
prepared for and went through the JCAHO survey. The author shows how the
effort undergoing the accreditation procedure helped improve the
performance of the network. To help other organizations considering JCAHO
network accreditation, specific aspects of the survey process are
presented, including preparing documents, understanding key concepts
emphasized by JCAHO, and preparing staff for participation in the survey
interviews.
