Quality assurance in a children's psychiatric hospital

The use of short-term isolation (STI) in a children's psychiatric hospital was examined using the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals (JCAH) quality assurance mode. A Clinical Care Evaluation addressed two questions: Are we providing quality use of STI? And are we adequately documenting its use? A medical record audit of 78 discharged patients and a review of unit records provided hospital staff with utilization and demographic statistics; structured interviews with staff and inpatients were conducted that provided information about their opinions of STI. The data gathered served as the basis for recommendations that led to planned, informed program changes.