The Joint Commission using hybrid survey for document review

Editor's Note

The Joint Commission, on October 6, announced that it has begun using a hybrid approach with a document review surveyor during deemed hospital re-accreditation surveys meeting eligibility criteria, primarily a fully electronic health record (EHR).

The hybrid approach consists of a surveyor working remotely (via Zoom or Microsoft Teams) to review patient records, documents, and human resources and credentialing files while other members of the survey team are on site. Requested documents will be uploaded into a secure SharePoint site and deleted after the survey.

The Joint Commission says organizations should plan to have a scribe and another staff member present who can navigate the EHR and has access to all record components.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid has approved this hybrid approach during the COVID-19 pandemic.