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Do you "DO" ISO?
By; Eric Schulze, CERM I find it interesting when I hear someone say they “do” ISO. What does that mean, exactly? You do ISO? People do Crossfit, the keto diet, or maybe they have a routine they do. To me, this implies that the “do” is an exception to the norm. This exception is influenced by competing priorities so whatever the “do” is might not get done all the time or is subject to being stopped all together. Compare the previous thought about the use of “do” to CMS’s CoPs for hospitals. I usually hear people say they follow the CoP’s or follow standards of care. The same hospital will say they follow the CoP’s and “do” ISO. |
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I recently had a conversation with a number of people from the American Nurses Association (they are ISO 9001 certified). We were talking about their Magnet Recognition Program and Pathway to Excellence program. I brought up the “do” ISO statement and they all looked at each other and said we know what you mean, we consistently have hospitals tell us they “do” Magnet. When they hear that Magnet is being done it confuses them also. The “do” sounds like it is an additional burden that someone is responsible for and if the majority of the organization is not bothered by the “do” then the “do” is working as it should. This is not the intent of ISO or any of the programs being offered by the American Nurses association.
"Doing" ISO appears to take on a compliance perspective of the requirements. This is what we have “done” in the ISO world since its inception in 1987. The problem is that as ISO has been revised over the last 30+ years, it has moved from something perceived as something to be done to something to help us manage our hospitals. Adopting ISO as it is intended requires a cultural shift, not another box to check…we do Magnet, Studer, ISO…etc. It provides a basic foundation for which we can achieve our intended results as a healthcare provider AND it is foundational for the other things we do, such as Studer, HPI, etc. ISO actually provides the structure for these investments to be sustainable. Oh, also include patient safety efforts in the above lists.
If ISO is something you can honestly describe as being done, maybe you could consider this as an internal issue for your hospital (ISO 4.1). If you make your “do” an issue, you may have the opportunity to shift your hospital’s perception of ISO to a more favorable one. Accreditation is a sunk cost. The beauty of NIAHO is that it includes ISO and that links directly to your hospitals VISION (or purpose). That is reason enough to look at ISO as a means to improve and count the rewards! Maybe this year’s resolution is to stop “doing” ISO. Who knows, your patients just might benefit from it.
Eric is a Certified Enterprise Risk Manager (CERM©), and a Senior Advisor with BlueSynergy Associates. BlueSynergy Associates maximize innovation, experience and customer perspective to reduce risk and make hospitals a safer environment. He advises and instructs hospitals in quality, risk, and environmental management systems. Eric was the Project Lead and Senior Consultant for the largest ISO 9001 implementation in healthcare at the Veterans Administration. He is a certified Lead Auditor in quality management systems by Exemplar Global. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or by calling toll free at 844-424-7825.
"Doing" ISO appears to take on a compliance perspective of the requirements. This is what we have “done” in the ISO world since its inception in 1987. The problem is that as ISO has been revised over the last 30+ years, it has moved from something perceived as something to be done to something to help us manage our hospitals. Adopting ISO as it is intended requires a cultural shift, not another box to check…we do Magnet, Studer, ISO…etc. It provides a basic foundation for which we can achieve our intended results as a healthcare provider AND it is foundational for the other things we do, such as Studer, HPI, etc. ISO actually provides the structure for these investments to be sustainable. Oh, also include patient safety efforts in the above lists.
If ISO is something you can honestly describe as being done, maybe you could consider this as an internal issue for your hospital (ISO 4.1). If you make your “do” an issue, you may have the opportunity to shift your hospital’s perception of ISO to a more favorable one. Accreditation is a sunk cost. The beauty of NIAHO is that it includes ISO and that links directly to your hospitals VISION (or purpose). That is reason enough to look at ISO as a means to improve and count the rewards! Maybe this year’s resolution is to stop “doing” ISO. Who knows, your patients just might benefit from it.
Eric is a Certified Enterprise Risk Manager (CERM©), and a Senior Advisor with BlueSynergy Associates. BlueSynergy Associates maximize innovation, experience and customer perspective to reduce risk and make hospitals a safer environment. He advises and instructs hospitals in quality, risk, and environmental management systems. Eric was the Project Lead and Senior Consultant for the largest ISO 9001 implementation in healthcare at the Veterans Administration. He is a certified Lead Auditor in quality management systems by Exemplar Global. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or by calling toll free at 844-424-7825.