The Joint Commission will resume some survey and review activities in June, according to its weekly newsletter Joint Commission Online.
“The Joint Commission is committed to working closely with organizations, with safety being the first and foremost priority. As we start to resume some of these survey and review activities, account executives will begin to contact organizations due for a survey to assess the impact that the coronavirus pandemic had on their operations and their current state,” the newsletter states.
“The Joint Commission is reviewing a variety of factors and criteria for determining where and which organizations will be surveyed, including identifying and then prioritizing low-risk areas in which we can go in safely to survey,” it adds.
The newsletter also states that The Joint Commission survey process will look different citing a need “to employ physical distancing practices to ensure the safety of all parties.”
The “physical distancing practices” will include:
- Limiting the numbers of individuals in group sessions. The use of audio or video conference calls can be incorporated by the organization to safely expand the number of attendees.
- Minimizing the number of people who accompany the surveyor on tracer activities.
- Using masks will be a routine practice, and we will expect the organization to provide masks and/or other personal protective equipment (PPE) to surveyors and reviewers while on-site.
- Maximizing the use of technology to eliminate the need for a number of people to sit directly next to an individual for an extended time.
- Driving in separate cars to off-site locations or home visits.
“Our survey will focus on a thorough assessment but will not retroactively review compliance. The implementation of an organization’s emergency operations plan will not be the focus of return survey activity considering the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) waivers and other extensions,” the newsletter states. “Rather, we will work to understand how you have adapted to the pandemic and review your current practices to assure you are providing safe care and working in a safe environment.”
For more information, visit tinyurl.com/TJCsurveys.