UFH Facilities Achieve Gold Standard in Accreditation
In June and July, 2008, United Family Hospitals (UFH) set its sights on achieving the gold standard in quality and safety by undergoing accreditation inspections from the Joint Commission International (JCI). UFH Beijing facilities went through re-accreditation inspections while UFH Shanghai facilities went through initial accreditation.
After rigorous inspections, UFH was given official word on August 22, 2008 that their Beijing and Shanghai facilities had passed the JCI Accreditation process. UFH now joins an elite group of the best healthcare providers in the world, and has the only hospitals in Shanghai and Beijing with the JCI ‘Gold Seal of Approval’. So what does this all mean? Keep reading to find out more.
What is accreditation and what are the benefits?
Accreditation is defined by JCI as ‘a process in which an entity, separate and distinct from the healthcare organization, usually non-governmental, assesses the healthcare organization to determine if it meets a set of standards requirements designed to improve quality of care’.
Accreditation processes are used in a variety of industries. In recent years, accreditation within the healthcare services industry has gained worldwide attention. The U.S., Australia and the U.K. are among the many countries that have very successful accreditation systems and this concept continues to grow worldwide.
The benefits of accreditation are countless for the organization involved. As a mostly voluntary process, accreditation shows that a healthcare organization has a visible commitment towards improving the safety and quality of patient care by continually working to reduce risks. Accreditation is therefore an effective quality assurance tool for healthcare organizations.
Source:
What is the Joint Commission International?
JCI is a division of the Joint Commission Resources (JCR), the non-profit affiliate of the Joint Commission which has been accrediting healthcare organizations and programs in the U.S. for more than 50 years. The Joint Commission currently accredits over 90 percent of hospitals in the United States.
The JCI mission is ‘To continuously improve the safety and quality of care in the international community through the provision of education and consultation services and international accreditation’.
The JCI Accreditation process, which is endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO), rigorously tests the quality systems, processes, and results of a healthcare organization. It is a voluntary process and organizations have to be re-accredited every three years.
In 2005, the WHO designated the Joint Commission and JCI as the world's first WHO Collaborating Center dedicated solely to patient safety. This collaboration was started to focus worldwide attention on best practices that reduce safety risks to patients.
Source:
Why is JCI Accreditation so sought after?
JCI Accreditation is the most coveted accreditation for all corporate hospitals the world over. The main reason is due to the thoroughness of its processes. The JCI accreditation program for hospitals covers everything from patient entry to discharge, and asses all aspects of management.
JCI Accreditation standards are based on Joint Commission accreditation standards which have been adapted and designed to accommodate the specific legal, religious and cultural factors within a country. The standards that JCI use are incredibly stringent. There are over 360 standards for different procedures and over 1000 measurable elements. The elements are measured on a scale of 1 to 10 (0 signifies non-compliance, and 5 partial compliance) and every certified hospital has to have a minimum score on each element.
“The JCI process is a rigorous team event that requires skill and precision to navigate a complex set of rules and regulations in order to meet a standard of excellence,” said Martha N. Hill, who heads the Johns Hopkins Nursing Program for the U.S. in China, which has close collaborative ties with UFH. “This accomplishment is nothing short of winning an Olympic gold medal.”
The JCI standards are set on the twin pillars of patient safety and patient care. What JCI looks for are systems that are followed consistently at every point of interaction with the patients. Patient safety and care are therefore paramount. The JCI system seeks to bring all sorts of errors within ‘acceptable’ limits. It is this limit, acceptable to patients and insurers around the world that gives the JCI Accreditation its wide recognition.
Source:
What does JCI Accreditation mean for the patient?
Hospitals the world over are now seeking international accreditation because it assures patients that best practices and standards are followed in a safe environment. As an affiliate of the Joint Commission, the JCI ‘Gold Seal of Approval’ also assures patients that the hospital measures up to the best in the US in terms of patient care and safety.
“Receiving JCI Accreditation ensures patients that we [UFH] have a commitment to improve the quality of patient care,” said Anne Moncure, President of UFH. “It [JCI Accreditation] represents the highest level of excellence for hospitals in regards to patient care and safety.”
Source:
How does a hospital become accredited by the JCI?
Preparation
JCI Accreditation can take over a year, if not longer, to prepare for due to the many rigorous steps that must be taken including: Study and accumulation of the existing materials; a gap analysis; planning, implementation, evaluation and running of the new system; and finally an audit. JCI requires that the full system be implemented successfully for a minimum of four months before the survey is conducted.
The JCI Survey
In order to be accredited, a JCI Inspection (or survey) is conducted at the hospital. A team of three surveyors are sent to the hospital (usually including a doctor, a nurse and an administrator) for a period of three to five days.
Rating the Hospital
During the survey JCI surveyors use a tracer methodology (or systems approach) whereby they follow eight or more patients during the site visit. This allows the surveyors to judge the quality of care the patient is receiving and examine how various departments work together to provide the care they need. During this process surveyors must examine and score over 360 standards and over 1000 measurable elements.
The Exit Interview
Before leaving the hospital surveyors conduct an exit interview with hospital management and they are given a copy of the preliminary report.
Awarding Accreditation
Approximately 60 days after the accreditation survey visit, the hospital is officially notified as to whether or not they have passed accreditation.
