Leapfrog Group

As you all know, the primary accreditation body for healthcare facilities is the JCAHO. Their Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Hospitals contains several hundred standards which hospitals are expected to meet. Thousands of hours of staff time are consumed each year in meeting and documenting these requirements.

In 2000, a new player, the Leapfrog Group, came onto the scene. Leapfrog has just three standards--computerized physician order entry, ICU physician staffing, and evidence-based hospital referral. The group makes public information about the extent to which hospitals are meeting these standards. There is much more participation in some areas of the country than others. I've been interested in seeing how the contrasts between the two very different approaches of JCAHO & Leapfrog would play out.

In the current Health Affairs, RS Galvin, et al., have asked "Has the Leapfrog Group had an impact on the health care market?" The conclusion of the article is that it is difficult to assess, and outlines several of the reasons why we may not have heard as much lately from this organization as one would expect.

Galvin RS, et al. "Has the Leapfrog Group had an impact on the health care market?" Health Affairs 2005 Jan-Feb;24(1):228-33.