PROPOSED ER ACCREDITATION
GUIDELINES
P1.0 The examination, interview process, &
space are adequate
for the safety, security, and privacy of patients &
staff
P1.1 There are enough interview rooms available to ensure
privacy
P1.2 Interview rooms are secure
P1.3 Security staff are available
on a timely, as needed, basis
P1.4 There is a policy in place governing the
use of restraints
P2.0 There is a client/pt. /family rights policy
that defines its
application to mentally ill individuals
P2.1
Information on these rights is provided to the patient
P2.2 These rights are
provided in a timely manner
P2.3 There is a policy whereby a 2nd party is
consulted when the patient's mental illness prevents the understanding of these
rights
P2.4 There is a process for obtaining consent on behalf of a patient
when mental illness prevents understanding of the intervention
P2.5 There is
a process for deferring the above in emergencies
P2.6 There is a process for
patients/families to voice rights concerns
P3.0 Staff will be
available who have competence in the
management of mental health
emergencies
P3.1 Qualified MH emergency staff will be
available
P3.2 In-service training is provided to fill any gaps in staff
skills
P3.3 Staff will have acquired a "sensitivity" to mental
illness
P4.0 Services to psychiatric patients will be
evaluated
P4.1 There is information on whether wait times for
psychiatric patients differ from those with other illnesses or conditions
P4.2 Information on patient & family service satisfaction is
gathered
P4.3 Information is gathered on the quality of treatment provided
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As part of the Alberta pilot of the
World Psychiatric Association's Worldwide Anti-Stigma campaign, a sub-committee
of the Anti-Stigma Committee identified ER services at general hospitals as a
problem because of attitudes, behaviours, and facilities available to those
patients with a mental illness. A questionnaire was developed and presented to
the program managers of ER's in the Pilot Project area (Calgary Health Region
and Drumheller). The issues covered included privacy/security, restraints,
patient rights, training of staff, patient satisfaction data, and planned
changes.
The responses were variable, but the ER managers
noted deficiencies in nearly all areas. This led them to seek funding to remedy
their individual deficiences, and to express a wish for clearly defined
standards. The Sub-Committee report of findings was used by the hospitals in
preparation for the next Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation
(CCHSA) survey. Meanwhile, the CCHSA had been contacted regarding the
acceptability of standards in this area. This gesture was warmly received and
our guidelines were incorporated into the revised CCHSA standards and applied nationally.
This work illustrates how
consumer/patient input was made the subject of a local enquiry into ER service,
how the ER's accepted this to improve services, and how this then became part
of national hospital service standards.
Click
here for a copy of the Report.
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