JCAHO evaluation spurred by quality concerns
How unique is this move by OIG?
The federal Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) inspection of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations in Oakbrook Terrace, IL, has been in planning stages for a while, say OIG representatives. The initiative comes in response to OIG concerns about the quality of the current system of hospital oversight.
The OIG conducts and supervises audits, inspections, and investigations relating to government programs and supporting operations. The OIG’s interest in the effectiveness of voluntary hospital accreditation programs may stem from a variety of sources.
In a 1996 national poll co-sponsored by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the federal Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, 52% of respondents said the federal government should monitor health providers to ensure a minimum standard of quality and make sure information about quality is available to the public.1 The same survey showed that 88% of Americans believe there is a role for the government in the quality-of-care arena.
Another issue prompting OIG’s involvement in accreditation surveys might be increasing concerns about Medicare fraud. Congress has greatly increased the resources and authorities of the OIG to combat health care fraud. The OIG is bolstering its investigative and audit staffs, formulating new anti-fraud strategies, and strengthening collaboration with the Health Care Financing Administration.
Reference
1. Ageny for Health Care Policy and Research, Center for Health Information Dissemination. AHCPR and Kaiser examine consumers’ use of quality information. Research Activities 1996;199:10-11.
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