A Joint Commission International-Accredited Small-scale Clinic: A Case Report

Abstract

The increased focus on improving patient safety and quality of health care in the international community has led to the need for the standardized evaluation processes of health care organizations, including ac-creditation [1,2]. Founded in 1994 by The Joint Commission, Joint Commission International (JCI) headquartered in USA is one of the well-established international accreditation bodies of health care organizations over 90 countries outside of the United States [3-5]. From academic medical centers and hospitals to primary care providers, there are hundreds of JCI-accredited health care organizations all over the world [6]. The standards for JCI accreditation to focus on patient safety and quality of health care in the international community are categorized according to the accreditation programs applied by the health care organizations, including academic medical center hospitals, ambulatory care, laborato-Objectives: The increased focus on patient safety and quality of health care has continually led hospital accreditation to grow internationally. Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation is the most representative entity in the international context. The extensive parameters used in JCI accreditation standards make bigger facilities have a greater advantage in practical terms. However, it is possible to establish the JCI framework into a more suitable form for the capacity of smaller medical facilities. This case report aimed to summarize its relevant experiences in a small-scale clinic whilst working on the accreditation, and to discuss the lessons from such interventions in outpatient care during the period of before and after JCI accreditation. Methods: This study with a three-year follow up was conducted in a small-scale local clinic in which JCI accreditation was successfully passed in 2016. Data was collected by conducting interviews with the staff in charge of handling JCI accreditation, and the relevant experiences focusing on international patient safety goals and medication management were summarized, with the lessons from such interventions in outpatient care during the period of before and after JCI accreditation. Results: Participating in the accreditation process and the three-year follow-up analysis revealed that the initial low levels of compliance with standards to improve patient safety and quality of healthcare in this clinic have been much improved. Conclusions: Based on finding of the case report, JCI accreditation in small-scale clinic may enhance its awareness and capacity to achieve successful quality improvement. It is identical to the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permit sunrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported. ry, home care, long term care, medical transport organizations, and primary care centers [6]. According to JCI Accreditation Standards for Hospitals and JCI Ac-creditation Standards for Ambulatory Care, the standards are divided into two principal sections: patient-centered care and health care organization management [7,8]. Several standards with the rationale of the standard and the specific requirements of the standard are included in each section: international patient safety goals (IPSG), access to care and continuity of care, patient and family rights, assessment of patients, care of patients, anesthesia and surgical care, medication management and use (MMU), and patient and family education for patient-centered standards ; quality improvement and patient safety, prevention and control of infections, governance, leadership, and direction, facility management