Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced on August 14 that accredited hospitals and critical access hospitals will be able to supplement local data with data acquired from Medicare-certified hospitals and critical access hospitals for the purposes of practitioner credentialing, privileging, and evaluation (focused and ongoing). The supplemental data may not…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced August 7 that the applicability of its Ambulatory Health Care Accreditation standards for telehealth organizations, which provide remote services, deploy in-person staff, and/or have equipment used between patients, is being evaluated. In the meantime, areas of noncompliance related to infection control, equipment and utility…

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Editor's Note In response to an increase in adverse events related to direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), the Joint Commission, on July 31, issued a new Sentinel Event Alert on managing DOAC risks. The alert: provides guidance for safe use and management of DOACs stresses understanding the risks, benefits, side effects,…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on July 24 named five hospitals/healthcare systems as 2019 Pioneers in Quality Expert Contributors for their leadership efforts in using electronic clinical quality measure (eCQM) practices to drive their quality improvement. The five are: Baptist Health (Jacksonville, Florida) Johns Hopkins Health System (Baltimore, Maryland) Memorial…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on June 26 announced that, effective immediately, Human Resources (HR) standard HR.01.05.03, element of performance (EP) 15, has been deleted from the Hospital, Critical Access Hospital, Ambulatory Care, and Office-Based Surgery accreditation programs. The deleted EP is: “The [organization] verifies and documents that individuals (including…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on June 19 announced that the National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ) has issued a new report−“Key Workforce Competencies for Quality-Driven Healthcare”− that focuses on creating a new framework for competencies needed by healthcare organizations to meet new goals for quality-driven healthcare. Among the competencies:…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on June 12 announced that it is reviewing the United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) revisions to its General Chapter <797> Pharmaceutical Compounding−Sterile Preparations. The Joint Commission is evaluating the effect of the revisions on its accredited organizations and plans to issue guidance and updated survey…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission announced June 5 that beginning January 1, 2020, accredited office-based surgery practices that provide fluoroscopy services will be required to comply with element of performance (EP) 17 of Environment of Care (EC) standard EC.02.02.01: The practice manages risks related to hazardous materials and waste. This…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on May 29 announced performance measures for two newly developed advanced Disease-Specific Care Certification programs−Acute Heart Attack Ready and Primary Heart Attack Center. The measures will go into effect July 1, 2019, for critical access hospitals and hospitals (including freestanding emergency departments) pursuing these certifications.…

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Editor's Note The Joint Commission on May 21 issued Quick Safety 49: Disinfection of tonometers and other ophthalmology devices. The Joint Commission noted that the American Academy of Ophthalmology has reported that transmission of adenovirus and herpes simplex virus HIV, hepatitis C virus, enterovirus 70, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus,…

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