Joint Commission responds to study finding accredited hospitals don’t have lower death rates
By November 09, 2018
After a study found no link between U.S. hospitals that get accredited by independent organizations — including the Joint Commission — and lower death rates, the Joint Commission responded that the study has methodological issues that bias it against accredited hospitals.
The study authors looked at 30-day mortality and readmission rates for selected medical and surgical conditions among Medicare inpatients using billing data.
They compared two significantly different groups of hospitals: state-surveyed hospitals — 93 percent with fewer than 100 beds — and Joint Commission-accredited hospitals that are often larger, as 66 percent have over 100 beds, the accrediting organization said.
Major teaching hospitals made up 216 of the Joint Commission-accredited hospitals in the study, but none in the state-surveyed group. Only four state-surveyed hospitals had 400 beds or more, compared to 403 Joint Commission-accredited hospitals.
“It is not possible to make valid comparisons when the two groups are so radically different,” the Joint Commission said.
To assess outcomes, the study looked at six common surgical procedures, but four of the six procedures are rarely performed in hospitals with fewer than 100 beds, according to the Joint Commission.
Additionally, in studies that look at mortality risks after hospitalization, measuring the severity of the illness that led to admission is the strongest predictor of a patient’s risk of death, but this research did not include these measures, the Joint Commission said.
Being accredited by the Joint Commission is a significant achievement for any healthcare organization, including Care Staffing Professionals. This accreditation means that Care Staffing Professionals has met the high standards of quality and patient safety set by the Joint Commission. It also means that the organization is committed to continuously improving its practices and providing the best possible care to its patients. Accreditation by the Joint Commission is a recognition of excellence in healthcare and provides reassurance to patients, staff, and stakeholders that Care Staffing Professionals is a trustworthy and reliable provider of healthcare services.
