4/17/18

Joint Commission: Infection Control Standard is "Most Challenging" for Office-Based Surgery Practices

By on 11:49 AM

For Joint Commission-accredited office-based surgery practices, no standard proved more difficult in 2017 than one concerning infection prevention and control, according to Ambulatory Buzz.

Standard IC.02.02.01 — The organization reduces the risk of infections associated with medical equipment, devices and supplies. — took the first spot on The Joint Commission's annual list of the top 10 challenging standards for office-based surgery practices. It had a reported 63% non-compliance. This standard saw an increase in non-compliance in 2017, up from 57% in 2016.

Also on the 2017 list: IC.02.01.01 — The organization implements infection prevention and control activities. The standard was fifth on the 2017 list, coming in at 27% non-compliance. It also saw an increase in non-compliance in 2017, up from 24% in 2016. On a positive note, two infection control standards on the 2016 list — IC.01.05.01 and IC.02.04.01 — did not appear in the 2017 list.

The standards compliance data used to put together the 2017 top 10 list for office-based surgery practices were derived from an average of 104 applicable surveys.

Note: Read about the top 10 challenging standards in 2017 for Joint Commission-accredited ambulatory healthcare organizations by clicking here.
 

Phenelle Segal, RN, CIC, FAPIC

Phenelle Segal, RN, CIC, FAPIC, is the founder and president of Infection Control Consulting Services LLC (ICCS). Phenelle has more than 30 years' experience providing customized comprehensive infection control and prevention services to healthcare facilities nationwide. Her services focus on assisting hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, dental office and oral surgery practices, doctor's offices, nursing homes and other organizations with implementing and maintaining an infection control program that: complies with The Joint Commission, AAAHC, Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) and other regulatory agencies; respond to situations of noncompliance; and improve the processes for reducing risk.