Quality of care concepts and nutrition support.

ABSTRACT

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations' (JCAHO) Agenda for Change has refocused and redefined quality monitoring in health care. The JCAHO has operationalized these new concepts of quality monitoring and evaluation by means of a 10-step process that includes the development of clinical indicators. Theoretical frameworks for the 10-step process were drawn from the work of theorists whose applications of quality-monitoring methods occurred in business and industry. An enhanced understanding of the current JCAHO definitions of quality and processes for quality measurement will help practitioners prepare for future accreditation surveys. A review of quality monitoring and evaluation activities in nutrition support has demonstrated a need for more published accounts to document these important activities.