Sentinel Alert on Repeated Xray Exposure

xray Diagnostic tools are an important component of medical care. However, over-reliance on certain tools is a cause for concern. The Joint Commission issued a sentinel event alert on diagnostic radiation in medical imaging, urging doctors to pay greater attention to the long-term hazards of repeated X-ray exposures.

In the alert, the Oak Park, Ill.-based health care accreditation group suggested a handful of strategies, such as swapping X-ray based scans for ultrasound or MRI, when appropriate, and adhering to dose-lowering guidelines put out by the American College of Radiology and other medical societies. Continue reading Sentinel Alert on Repeated Xray Exposure

SwedishAmerican Health System Receive Joint Commission Accreditation

SwedishAmerican Health System, including SwedishAmerican Hospital, SwedishAmerican Medical Center/Belvidere, SwedishAmerican Home Health, and SwedishAmerican Medical Group clinics, has received accreditation from the Joint Commission as a result of its demonstrated compliance with The Joint Commission’s nationally recognized health care standards.

Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission is dedicated to continuously improving the safety and quality of the nation’s health care through voluntary accreditation. The Joint Commission’s on-site survey of SwedishAmerican occurred in early April. Continue reading SwedishAmerican Health System Receive Joint Commission Accreditation

Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Laboratory and Point- of-Care Testing (CAMLAB) Updated

The Joint Commission “Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Laboratory and Point- of-Care Testing (CAMLAB)” has been updated to provide clarity, additional specificity and detail to the standards and elements of performance. A preview of the new manual is posted on The Joint Commission web site, and laboratories will be surveyed against the new manual beginning in July 2011. Continue reading Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Laboratory and Point- of-Care Testing (CAMLAB) Updated

Under new management

under new

Bear with us as we adjust our content. This blog is now focused on news and updates pertaining to healtcare and specifically the Joint Commission. We are not affiliated with any healthcare provider or educator. New content and info is rolling out so please be patient!

Medicine on the Net

In order to make good decisions about managing patients, providers have to integrate the best available external evidence with clinical expertise. Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is the conscientious and judicious use of best evidence in making medical decisions. The discipline was developed at McMaster University in Canada and soon spread to the U.K. and then to the U.S. The primary EBM organization in the U.K. is the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine in Oxford. Their goal is “to promote evidence-based healthcare and provide support and resources to anyone who wants to make use of them.” This site was launched in an effort to meet that goal.

Continue reading Medicine on the Net