TJC to trim requirements starting January 1, 2023

There will be fewer requirements for accreditation from The Joint Commission (TJC) in the near future. The commission is conducting what new TJC president and CEO Jonathan B. Perlin, MD, PhD, MSHA, MACP, FACMI, says is a “mega review of standards” to look at “each and every requirement to determine that they meaningfully and effectively address quality and safety issues that are ongoing, that they aren't redundant.”

The recent research article, which was published by JAMA Network Open, examines data collected from more than 2,000 Mayo Clinic patients who had telehealth diagnoses followed by an in-person visit diagnosis for the same clinical concern in the same specialty within 90 days.

Increasing the testing of patients for C. diff in the first three days of hospital admission was a key intervention at Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital, says Cherith Walter, RN, MSN, APRN, a clinical nurse specialist at the facility who led an interdisciplinary team formed in 2016 to tackle hospital-onset C. diff.

Over the years, I’ve found that folks sometimes have a tough time wrapping their heads around instances in which sprinkler systems are impaired enough to require implementation of Interim Life Safety Measures. I will freely admit that in some instances, it is in the eye of the beholder (or the interpretation of the AHJ—pick your poison), but the determination really starts with having a good working knowledge of how sprinklers (and fire suppression systems in general) work and what types of conditions really put a hurt (so to speak) on the system’s capacity to extinguish or suppress a fire.

The International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety (IAHSS) has released its Incident Categories and Data Analysis guidelines in which it encourages healthcare security leaders to make data-based decisions.

New research conducted at the Ohio State University College of Medicine and published in JAMA Network Open finds that patients who are trained by their healthcare providers in person will have a better grasp on how to use digital tools than those who use videos for their education. This means that healthcare organizations should emphasize and invest in hands-on training if they want to see the full benefits from patient portals.

When the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline was launched nationally in July 2022, many viewed it as a huge step forward in mental healthcare. However, since its rollout, some have taken to social media to decry the Lifeline, claiming potential abuses of patient rights. And those unsure of what’s true or false will be looking to healthcare providers for answers.

Hospitals are now immersed in twin health emergencies, battling both monkeypox and COVID-19. But CMS has signaled that the waivers and flexibilities allowed for almost three years to battle the coronavirus may be almost up.

The Joint Commission (TJC) is still catching up on the surveys backlogged during the COVID-19 pandemic—but they are catching up. As you get ready, be prepared to get down on hands and knees to double-check for some problems highlighted recently.