The continuum of care protocol: a strategic response to Joint Commission change.

Changing mandates of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, including the 11 functional standards, the nine dimensions of performance, and the interdisciplinary approach, are reviewed. One hospital, City Hospital, strategically managed this change by marrying the principles of strategic management and continuous quality improvement. The end result of this pursuit was the production of a technology--a continuum grid--that helps to address accountability for hospitalwide functions, dimensions of performance, and interdisciplinary approaches while also addressing the need for a clinical pathway of care. The use of the continuum of care grid and steps to achieve a similar technology are identified.