Joint Commission International Releases Hospital Standards, Fifth Edition

OAK BROOK, Ill., Sept. 2, 2013 /CNW/ - Joint Commission International (JCI) announces the release of the fifth edition of its International Accreditation Standards for Hospitals. The standards, written for a global audience, are updated triennially and address patient safety and quality of care at hospitals and academic medical centers. More than 575 health care organizations in 56 countries have earned JCI accreditation.

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The fifth edition features new and substantially updated standards and measurable elements that take effect 1 April 2014. Updates emerged through an extensive process involving JCI surveyors and consultants, focus groups held in 16 countries, interviews with hospital CEOs, and online reviews by hundreds of health care professionals. A 13-member multinational Standards Advisory Panel -- comprised of physicians, nurses, administrators, and public policy experts -- guided the revision process. The result is a manual with more focus on pressing issues such as use of medical technology, supply chain integrity, handover communications in patient care, infectious disease management, and creating and maintaining a safety culture.

"The health care world has changed substantially in the last three years, and so has JCI. The fifth edition is designed to help hospitals and academic medical centers continuously improve their quality and patient safety efforts and prepare for the future," explained Paul vanOstenberg, Vice President of International Accreditation, Standards, and Measurement, JCI.

The e-book, in English, is currently available, the print version in October 2013, and translated e-books in Arabic, simplified Chinese, Dutch, Italian, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, and Turkish in early 2014.

Hospital leaders considering JCI accreditation can learn about strategies for compliance at the International Practicum on Accreditation and Quality Improvement in Seoul (2-6 September) or Dubai (27-31 October). Accreditation Update seminars for JCI-accredited organizations preparing for fifth edition compliance will be held in Seoul, 29-30 August; Singapore, 9-10 September; Bangkok, 14-15 September; Amsterdam, 10-11 October; and Dubai, 28-29 October.

For more information visit store.jointcommissioninternational.org/.

Joint Commission International (JCI) was established in 1994 as a division of Joint Commission Resources, Inc. (JCR), a wholly controlled, not-for-profit affiliate of The Joint Commission. Through international accreditation, consultation, publications and education programs, JCI extends The Joint Commission's mission worldwide by helping to improve the quality of patient care. JCI assists international health care organizations, public health agencies, health ministries and others in more than 90 countries.

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SOURCE: Joint Commission International