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

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.