Accreditation categories changed to reflect quality
In an effort to make its accreditation categories more user-friendly for consumers, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations is renaming two of them.
Effective Jan. 1, 2002, the categories were renamed in order to better convey to consumers an organization’s level of performance. Accreditation without Type I Recommendations becomes Accreditation with Full Standards Compliance, which is awarded to health care organizations that demonstrate satisfactory compliance with applicable JCAHO standards in all performance areas.
Accreditation with Type I Recommendations becomes Accreditation with Requirements for Improvement, and will be awarded to health care organizations that demonstrate satisfactory compliance with applicable JCAHO standards in most performance areas but have deficiencies in one or more performance areas or accreditation policy requirements that require resolution within a specified time period.
Another development at the Joint Commission involves when to include physician practices in organization surveys. Under new rules adopted by the Executive Committee, the physician practice will be included in an organization’s survey if:
- The organization includes the practice in its Medicare cost report as a provider-based practice.
- The physician is an employee of the organization and the organization and/or the physician practice affirmatively portrays to the public that the physician practice is part of the organization through these steps:
- the use of common names or logos;
- references on letterhead, brochures, telephone book listings, or web sites;
- representations on other published materials.
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