The Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has extended the due date for organizations to convert from paper or in-house electronic format to the electronic Statement of Conditions (eSOC) to July 1, 2007.
In 2004, JCAHO announced that the SOC process would migrate to an electronic version effective Jan. 1, 2007. This more would affect the required Part 2, Basic Building Information, and Part 4, Plan for Improvement.
Since August 2005, the eSOC compliance document has been available to organizations to allow ample time to migrate from the existing paper process to an electronic process.
During this time, the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) raised two concerns with JCAHO. In response, JCAHO is working on an interface to assist users in their conversion of those items remaining in their current electronic format to the eSOC and create a solution to a security issue related to accessing the eSOC.
During this transition period, JCAHO requires that:
-All accredited organizations, which have buildings requiring an SOC, have created an electronic Basic Building Information (eBBI), by Jan. 1, 2007.
-All new life-safety code deficiencies required to be managed using the Statement of Conditions should be managed using the electronic Plan for Improvement beginning no later than Jan.1, 2007.
-Any life-safety code deficiency currently identified in an existing Part 4 and scheduled to be completed after Dec. 31, 2006, should be entered into the eSOC. After discussion with ASHE, JCAHO agreed to make the effective date July 1, 2007.
For more information, visit http://www.ashe.org or http://www.jcaho.org.
