While the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and its not-for-profit affiliate, Joint Commission Resources, Inc. (JCR), have taken steps to prevent the improper sharing of information, a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report concluded that it would be prudent for JCAHO and JCR to continually assess their preventative mechanisms.
In 2003, over 80 percent of hospitals in the United States demonstrated their compliance with Medicare conditions of participation through accreditation by JCAHO. Since 1986, JCR has been providing consultation services to hospitals. In addition, JCR and JCAHO have a close relationship, which includes representation by JCAHO on JCR's board of directors. Consequently, it is imperative that JCR services do not affect the independence of the accreditation process. According to the GAO, degrading the independence of the process could undermine the safety and quality of services provided to Medicare beneficiaries.
Firewall Policies
In 2003, JCAHO and JCR extensively modified their firewall policies that were initially developed in 1987. While both organizations had similar policies, each had certain provisions that focused specifically on the services offered by its own organization. For example, JCR's firewall policies contain protocols to guide consultants in the field in interacting with JCAHO staff. Other mechanisms include a compliance hotline and annual external review of the firewall. According to the report, the next step is for management of both organizations to ensure that these mechanisms are sufficient to protect the integrity of the accreditation process.
Source: GAO Report, GAO-07-79, Dec. 1, 2006.
For more information on this and related topics, consult the CCH® Medicare and Medicaid Guide.
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