Joint Commission ethics standards
Will ethical concerns be heard?
Joint Commission ethics standards
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations in Oakbrook Terrace, IL, has increased its attention to patient rights in the past several years. Included in this emphasis is a requirement for a mechanism for solving conflicts. In 1997, the accreditation body will broaden the reach of ethics and patient rights to include a similar function-based requirement for an institutional code of ethical behavior. In other words, the Joint Commission wants to know how your institution conducts itself systematically each day.
Here’s a look at the specific standard:
• RI.4: The hospital operates according to a code of ethical behavior. (The hospital may have one code of ethical behavior or multiple codes addressing the issues identified in RI.4.1 and RI.4.2.)
• RI.4.1: The code addresses marketing, admission, transfer, discharge, and billing.
• RI.4.2: The code addresses the relationship of the hospital and its staff to other health care providers, educational institutions, and payers.
An honest, decent, and proper manner
A hospital has an ethical responsibility to its patients and community. Guiding documents, such as the hospital’s mission statement and strategic plan, provide a consistent, ethical framework for patient care and business practices.
But a framework alone is not sufficient. To support ethical operations and fair treatment of patients, a hospital must have and operate according to a code of ethical behavior. The code addresses ethical practices regarding marketing, admission, transfer, discharge, and billing, as well as resolution of conflicts associated with patient billing. The code ensures that the hospital conducts its patient-related business practices in an honest, decent, and proper manner.
Implementing RI.4.2
A hospital’s governing body reviews a proposed relationship before entering a contractual agreement with a provider of services. The proposed contract is approved or rejected based on best-bid practices and the potential for conflict of interest.
Marketing materials reflect only those services available and the level of licensure and accreditation. All initial patient billing is itemized and includes dates of service. The hospital has a formal process to review patient or other payer questions about charges expeditiously and resolve conflicts or discuss questions without real or perceived harassment.
Admission and transfer policies are not based on patient or hospital economics. Only patients whose conditions or diseases cannot be safely treated at the hospital are diverted, refused admission, or transferred to another hospital.
(Editor’s note: This information was taken from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations’ Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Hospitals 1997. Oakbrook Terrace, IL.)
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