I enjoyed learning about the Joint Commission and its accreditation practice both in text and video formats. Moreover, I consider it extremely important to analyze the work of organizations that directly affect people’s perception of medical institutions and health care in general. The Joint Commission has many advantages and well-established methods in its practice. The organization has a set of core performance measures translating into the objective and unbiased evaluation of all medical facilities (Respiratory Therapy Zone, 2021). The accreditation process is based on unannounced surveys of the facilities being carried out every three years (Respiratory Therapy Zone, 2021). It can be argued that this forces health care organizations to comply with all the requirements as they may be surveyed suddenly with subpar performance resulting in loss of accreditation. In addition, the video mentions that the Joint Commission accreditation is a prerequisite for Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements (Respiratory Therapy Zone, 2021). Thus, a facility being stripped of accreditation loses its revenue.
However, several research studies express the opposite view and question the effectiveness of the Joint Commission and its accreditation procedures. For example, Jha (2018) notes that accredited hospitals score lower on patient satisfaction, staff communication and responsiveness, and cleanliness. In addition, no difference was found in mortality rates of accredited and non-accredited organizations (Jha, 2018). Therefore, accreditation does not necessarily translate into better care or patient experience. However, I would not seek health care at an uncredited institution because I think accredited facilities have higher standards of care and strive to improve for their patients. Overall, I believe the Joint Commission should continue with the accreditation of medical institutions. It can provide the needed feedback to different facilities and contribute to their improvement.
References
Jha, A. K. (2018). Accreditation, quality, and making hospital care better. JAMA, 320(23), 2410-2411. Web.
Respiratory Therapy Zone. (2021). What is the Joint Commission? (TJC) | Quick Overview [Video]. YouTube. Web.