Compliance

Joint Commission

A 2005 study of sentinel events reported to the Joint Commission by accredited health care organizations revealed that a staggering 70 percent resulted from communication problems. Studies show that at least half of these communication breakdowns occur during patient hand-offs.

The Joint Commission now requires a standardized reporting template for hand-offs. Expectations note that hospitals should limit interruptions, allow sufficient time for communication and include a process for verifying information between caregivers. The Joint Commission also emphasizes the importance of monitoring and performance improvement activities to ensure ongoing compliance.

OptiVox^® addresses all major expectations of the Joint Commission's Patient Safety Goal 02.05.01 regarding interdisciplinary hand-off communications, including:

	Standardized approach to hand-off communication
	Method to ensure accurate and up-to-date information
	Process to verify received information
	Method to minimize interruptions during transfer of information
	Ability to review relevant information
	Opportunity to ask and respond to questions

OptiVox was a corporate underwriter of the Joint Commission's national conference in 2009, held in Chicago on September 14-16.

The technology is also discussed in the Joint Commission's 2007 best-selling manual, "Improving Hand-Off Communication".

Click here to read complete details on how OptiVox complies with the Joint Commission's Patient Safety Goal 02.05.01. [PDF document]

HIPAA

Clinical Health Communications, Inc., acknowledges the standards imposed by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).

Accordingly, Clinical Health Communications' products satisfy the requirements of the HIPAA regulations as the same may be amended from time to time. Further, Clinical Health Communications, Inc. provides customers with clear guidelines on how to incorporate its products into a HIPAA-compliant system.

For questions regarding HIPAA compliance and its impact on Clinical Health Communications' products, e-mail Gretchen Johnson, HIPAA Compliance Officer for Clinical Health Communications, at .

TCAB

In 2003, through an initiative called Transforming Care at the Bedside (TCAB), the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and IHI created a framework for change on medical/surgical units built around improvements in four main categories:

	Safe and Reliable Care
	Vitality and Teamwork
	Patient-Centered Care
	Value-Added Care Processes

OptiVox supports the TCAB initiative by providing a standardized model for hand-offs that supports consistent and clear communication among caregivers. The process fosters a less chaotic and more organized environment in which shift work can be completed more efficiently.