Action Alerts

JCAHOnline Reveals Hospital New Telemedicine and Volunteer Credentialing Standards for July 2006
February 2006

The January 2006 JCAHOnline publication reveals standards changed effective July 1, 2006 affecting telemedicine, the credentialing and privileging of licensed independent practitioners and verification of volunteer’s credentials during disasters.

Telemedicine
Revised Standards MS.4.20 and MS.4.120 will require hospitals (and critical access hospitals) that are using credentialing information and privileging decisions of a JCAHO accredited ambulatory care organization to:

1. confirm that the ambulatory standards are in compliance with revised ambulatory care standards HR.4.10-HR.4.24; and
2. to involve the governing body of the hospital in making the final privileging decision.

Volunteers Credentialing
The new requirements for verifying non-licensed independent practitioners volunteers’ credentials during disasters will be covered under a new standard – HR.1.25. The current standard dealing with disaster credentialing, MS.4.110, has also been updated. Basically, even during a disaster, verification of license, certification or registration, and the oversight of care, treatment and services provided must be maintained.

This timely information is brought to you by The Quality Management Consulting Group, Ltd. (QMCG). Please call our office at (614) 227-4848 for your confidential and no cost or obligation discussion and proposal for objective, unbiased peer review services.