Joint Commission surveys ignore occupational health
Joint Commission surveys ignore occupational health
AOHP asks for a voice on JCAHO council
Employee health professionals are asking for a greater voice — and more attention — from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) in Oakbrook Terrace, IL.
The Association of Occupational Health Professionals in Healthcare (AOHP) has asked for membership on the JCAHO nursing advisory council. The Joint Commission has not yet responded to the request. The request was prompted, in part, by the experience of some AOHP members who were involved in recent surveys and found little concern or interest in employee health on the part of surveyors.
"Several AOHP members recently participated in JCAHO surveys, and are concerned about the inconsistencies of JCAHO surveyors on reviewing standards that impact health care worker safety," AOHP executive president Denise Knoblauch, RN, BSN, COHN-S/CM, wrote to the Joint Commission. "We feel that our presence on the council would demonstrate that health care worker safety will directly impact patient safety, leading to an improved survey emphasis."
Surveyors need to understand the link between employee health and patient safety, explains Knoblauch, who is clinical case manager for the OSF SFMC Center for Occupational Health at Saint Francis Medical Center in East Peoria, IL.
Standard calls for worker, patient safety
The Joint Commission has previously acknowledged the importance of employee health and safety, although its standards primarily focus on patient safety. In its environment of care standards, the Joint Commission calls for hospitals to manage safety risks related to patients, employees, and visitors.
A previous standard, which existed from 2001 to 2003, specifically required hospitals to plan for "worker safety."
Through a partnership with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Joint Commission also shares information and provides education for surveyors.
Employee health professionals are asking for a greater voice -- and more attention -- from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) in Oakbrook Terrace, IL.Subscribe Now for Access
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