JCAHO To Release Quality Ratings for 16,000 Health Facilities

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations on Thursday will release performance reports for some 16,000 accredited hospitals, nursing homes and other health facilities in the United States, the Akron Beacon Journal reports. The reports, which will be available to the public through Quality Check or through JCAHO's main Web site, detail the health care facilities' accreditation status with JCAHO and performance ratings on handling four health conditions: heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and pregnancy (Powell, Akron Beacon Journal, 7/14). The reports also include how the facilities rate on meeting standards for preventing medical errors, including misidentification of patients, wrong-site surgery, prescription drug errors and hospital-borne infections (McDonough, AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 7/15). Ratings will be denoted by a star for achieving optimum results, a plus sign for performing better than most other accredited institutions, a check mark for performing at an average level and a minus sign for performing below average. The information, which is used by JCAHO to grant re-accreditation, is collected by JCAHO officials during site visits that take place at least once every three years. JCAHO spokesperson Mark Forstneger said, "Knowledge is power. Anything that can empower consumers to make more informed health care choices is in their best interest" (Akron Beacon Journal, 7/14). JCAHO President Dennis O'Leary said, "Americans are demanding information that they can use to make decisions about where to seek treatment" (AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 7/15).