Government report finds fault with Joint Commission
But the accreditation organization said the GAO study critical of its inspections is misleading.
By Damon Adams, amednews Staff. Aug. 16, 2004.
A new government report has found problems at hospitals accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. In response, two legislators are proposing greater government oversight of JCAHO's hospital accreditation process.
The Government Accountability Office reviewed state surveys and found problems at 157 of 500 hospitals accredited by the Joint Commission.
JCAHO's surveys missed problems at 123 of those 157 hospitals during the study period of 2000-2002, the report said. JCAHO did not identify the majority of deficiencies in Medicare requirements found by state agencies.
The report, released July 20, cited inadequacies in nursing practices, fire safety and physical environment problems as "serious deficiencies that could endanger multiple patients." The GAO said Congress should consider giving the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services the same authority over JCAHO's hospital accreditation program that it has over other accreditation programs.
"This report raises serious concerns about the ability of the hospital accreditation process to assure compliance with Medicare's requirements. While it would be unreasonable to conclude, based on this investigation, that there's widespread failure within the system, deliberate action is long overdue," Rep. Pete Stark, (D, Calif.), said in a statement.
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