Health care information technology panel established

AORN Journal, Dec, 2005

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAH0) has established a Healthcare Information Technology Advisory Panel to focus attention on the improvement of patient safety and clinical processes as new healthcare information systems ate implemented, according to a Sept 22, 2005, news release from JCAH0. The panel includes representatives from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, American Health Information Management Association, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Veterans Health Administration, and Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. The panel is composed of researchers, physicians, nurses, chief information officers, educators, and leaders of health care organizations.

Members will be asked to recommend ways that JCAHO's accreditation process and the widespread use of technology can be used to help reengineer patient care delivery and result in major improvements in safety, quality, and efficiency. Further, the panel members will examine topics such as the effect of electronic health records on performance benchmarking and public reporting capabilities. Two JCAHO board members will lead a strategic issues work group that will consider the panel's recommendations and spearhead JCAHO's future directions relative to healthcare information technology.

Joint Commission Establishes Healthcare Information Technology Advisory Panel (news release, Oakbrook Terrace, Ill: Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, Sept 22, 2005).