JCAHO establishes IT panel

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has created an advisory panel on information technology to help reengineer the delivery of care to improve safety, quality and efficiency.

The panel is charged with recommending ways the agency can use its accreditation process and information technology to increase the role information technology plays in its various accreditation programs. The advisory panel will study the effect of electronic medical records on performance benchmarking and public reporting capabilities. The panel also will conduct a benchmark survey on the existing state of IT adoption in the industry, along with annual updates to track progress.

The 39-member panel is heavily represented by providers, as well as health insurers, academia, consultants, technology vendors and government agencies.

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