American Health Information Community (AHIC)
A federal advisory body established in 2005 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It comprises nine public and eight federal representatives plus the HHS secretary. It provides input and recommendations to HHS, digitizing health recor
American Osteopathic Association (AOA)
A professional membership association that represents more than 56,000 osteopathic physicians (DOs) in practice in the United States. It is also the primary certification agency for osteopathic physicians and the accreditation agency for all osteopathic m
Board certification
Professional practice guidelines developed by a certification organization and generally accepted as the established standard of care for that specialty. A specific procedure performed by a board-certified physician or surgeon according to the practice gu
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
A daily publication of the U.S. Government Printing Office. Whenever federal statutes or regulations are added or changed in it, the rules are published in the Federal Register.
Conditions of Participation for Hospitals
Medicare Conditions of Participation for Hospitals are published under title 42, part 482, of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFP). CMS works directly with accreditation organizations to coordinate the Medicare Conditions of Participation with national a
Data dictionary
A descriptive list of names, definitions, and attributes of data elements to be collected in an information system or database.Guidelines must be established by the HIM professionals with input from the various departments in the organization so that they
Deemed status
Status granted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Hospitals accredited through the Joint Commission Hospital Accreditation Program or the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP) may p
Electronic data interchange (EDI)
The transaction and messaging activity that occurs among independent computer information systems.
Federal Register
Daily publication of the U.S. Government Printing Office that publishes final changes, updates, and proposed changes and updates to the Code of Federal Regulations.
Health informatics standards
Standards that describe uniform methods for collecting, maintaining, and/or transferring healthcare data among computer information systems.They can be classified into five categories: vocabulary standards, structure and content standards, transaction and
Health Information Technology Standards Panel (HITSP)
Federal organization established by the Office of the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology (ONC) that is charged with determining which sets of national standards, developed by standards development organizations (SDOs), will be used in t
Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set (HEDIS)
A data set commonly used in hospitals.
Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP)
The American Osteopathic Association (AOA) accreditation program. It accredits a number of healthcare facilities and services, including laboratories, ambulatory-care clinics, ambulatory-surgery centers, behavioral health and substance abuse treatment fac
Identifier standards
Uniform methods for collecting, maintaining, and/or transferring healthcare data among computer information systems. One of five categories of health informatics standards.
Individual tracer activity
One of two tracer methods used by Joint Commission surveyors in the accreditation process. It permits the evaluation of the care experience of a specific patient while in the hospital. The method analyzes a hospital's system of providing care, treatment,
Individual-based system tracer activity
One of two tracer methods used by Joint Commission surveyors in the accreditation process. It explores a specific system or process across the organization. The surveyor evaluates the integration of related processes, coordination, and communication among
Joint Commission
A not-for-profit, standards-setting organization whose primary mission is "to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public through the provision of health care accreditation and related services that support performance impro
Medical staff bylaws, rules, and regulations
Methods that govern the conduct of the independent healthcare professionals who provide patient-care services in acute-care facilities.Bylaws are similar to policies in that they describe general guidelines. Rules and regulations, like procedures, describ
National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)
An organization that provides behavioral healthcare services. `
Periodic Performance Review (PPR)
A key component in the continuous accreditation process. It helps hospitals incorporate Joint Commission standards as part of routine operations and ongoing quality-improvement efforts.
Policies
General written guidelines that dictate behavior or direct and constrain decision making within the organization.
Priority focus areas (PFAs)
Processes, systems, and structures that have the most substantial effect on patient-care services. The Joint Commission designates them in its accreditation process.
Priority focus process (PFP)
The Joint Commission focuses survey activities on the organization-specific issues that are most relevant to safety and quality of care.
Procedures
Detailed written instructions on how functions and processes are implemented. They should explicitly fulfill the stipulations of general policies.
Professional certification organizations
Private societies and membership organizations that establish professional qualification requirements and clinical practice standards for specific areas of medicine, nursing, and allied health professions.
Regulation
A rule established by an administrative agency of government. The difference between a statute and a regulation is regulations must be followed by any healthcare organization participating in the related program. Administrative agencies are responsible fo
RxNorm
Provision for standard names for clinical drugs and administered dose forms.
Security standards
Uniform methods for collecting, maintaining, and/or transferring healthcare data among computer information systems. They are one of five categories of health informatics standards.
Sentinel event
An undesired variation in performance.This variation may be represented by an important single event, such as a blood transfusion reaction, or by a significant variation from either the standards or comparative performances of other organizations. Several
Standards
Pre-established, written criteria. They describe minimum performance levels and include specific guidelines to ensure the safety of patients and achieve quality of medical care.
Standards development organizations (SDOs)
Groups that design scientifically based models against which structures, processes, and outcomes can be measured.
Statute
A piece of legislation written and approved by a state or federal legislature and then signed into law by the state's governor or the president.
Tracer methodology
A procedure used by Joint Commission surveyors in the accreditation process. It incorporates the priority focus procedure, followed the experience of care through the organization's entire healthcare process, and allows the surveyor to identify performanc
Transaction and messaging standards
Uniform methods for collecting, maintaining, and/or transferring healthcare data among computer information systems. They are one of fiver categories of health informatics standards.
Unannounced survey
Survey in while an accredited organization will receive no notice.