How to Compare and Choose a Hospital
Consider Joint Commission Accreditation for Superior Patient Care
Aug 31, 2008
When you know that you will be needing surgery or another treatment in a hospital, take the time to make an informed decision about where to go. Joint Commission accredited hospitals continually show marked improvement in quality of care when compared to non-accredited hospitals.
About half of the nearly 8,000 hospitals in the US are accredited by the Joint Commission and may display the Golden Seal of Approval. Many hospitals opt to become accredited for disease-specific programs such as oncology, cardiology, dialysis or hepatology (treatment of liver disease). The Joint Commission provides handbooks to their clients, which delineate the requirements for accreditation. Requirements include specific instructions on how to achieve the proper environment for patient care, medication management, medical staffing, nursing, and even specifications on documentation of everything from patient care to human resources issues. The Joint Commission has published its 2009 Hospital National Patient Safety Goals, which include:
- improvements in staff communication (i.e. streamlining documentation abbreviations and the referral process)
- medication safety (i.e. improve medication knowledge and labeling)
- prevention of infections
- safety hazards for hospitalized patients (i.e. identifying patients who are likely to fall or commit suicide)
- and more.
Visit the Joint Commission’s website to find out more about accreditation programs and to search for hospitals by state or specific condition in the Quality Check section of the site.
Joint Commission has been the most popular accrediting agency for hospitals for at least the past twenty years, but many hospitals now are reconsidering their contracts with Joint Commission and opting to be inspected by their state inspection service or using an alternative accrediting agency such as the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Why the switch? Some hospital staff have decided that some of the requirements of the Joint Commission are too stringent and do not add value to the hospital's services. So although the Joint Commission seal means that a hospital is on top of things, there are hospitals out there that opt not to become Joint Commission accredited and may deliver excellent services.
Other ways to explore hospital options are to speak with your doctor about hospitals he is affiliated with or those that are best to treat your specific condition, and then visit the hospitals to take a look at the rooms to get a feel for the culture. While you are there, ask questions so you can see what your stay may be like:
- How often has this procedure been performed at this hospital?
- What is the success rate at this hospital for my procedure?
- Does this hospital have a plan for quality improvement?
- What do patients say about this hospital? Are they surveyed for satisfaction?
- What is the food like? When will it be served?
- Can my family stay overnight in my room with me?
- Will my family and I be able to receive updated information about my recovery?
- Will I get special training on how to take care of myself once I am discharged?
Also, make sure that your insurance is accepted, and that you do not have to pay more if you use a certain hospital. Visit The United States Department of Health and Human Services hospital compare site to compare hospitals and to view patient satisfaction surveys.
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