TJC spilling too many beans? CMS thinks so

By A.J. Plunkett (aplunkett@decisionhealth.com)

Think the results of your last Joint Commission survey were hard to understand? If CMS has their way, it may get murkier.

CMS confirms that one of its main stumbling blocks to The Joint Commission (TJC) earning more than just a two-year renewal as a hospital accrediting organization (AOs) was providing too much information during the conference check-in at the end of each survey day.

“Providing too much detail or having extensive discussions before or during a facility inspection survey can potentially compromise the integrity of the survey process.  Based on the level of detail shared, a facility could correct potential deficiencies mid-course, which would skew the findings and final outcome of the investigation,” said CMS, responding in a written statement to a query from the Accreditation & Quality Compliance Center (AQCC) seeking clarification on the notice published in the Federal Register on July 15.

The notice approved TJC as an AO through July 15, 2022. The CMS statement also said it “found flaws and a lack of continuity in TJC’s hospital program renewal application.”

TJC’s last approval was for six years. The commission declined to comment on CMS’ statement.

For more on the problems outlined by CMS and what it could mean for your next survey, see the upcoming issue of Inside Accreditation and Quality.