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Get in line with JCAHO abuse-prevention rules

Briefings on The Joint Commission, September 1, 2005

This is an excerpt from a member only article. To read the article in its entirety, please login or subscribe to Briefings on The Joint Commission.

Learning objective: After reading this article, you will be able to

1. identify the JCAHO's standard to protect patients from abuse

2. list three different types of abuse

Statistics have shown that an estimated 1 million to 2 million people age 65 or older in the United States have been injured, exploited, or mistreated by a caregiver. Between birth and age three, infants and toddlers are victimized at a rate of 16.4 per 1,000 children in the same age group.

Therefore, it is no surprise to healthcare organizations that the JCAHO continues to drill down on hospitals' abuse and neglect procedures. The JCAHO expects hospitals to have processes in place to identify victims of abuse.

JCAHO guards against abuse

Ethics, rights, and responsibilities standard RI.2.150 defines the patient's right to be free from mental, physical, sexual, and verbal abuse; neglect; and exploitation.

The two elements of performance under this standard require hospitals to protect patients from these forms of abuse by other patients, staff, volunteers, students, and others with access to them. The hospital also is required to investigate all allegations, suspicions, or observations of abuse.

This is an excerpt from a member only article. To read the article in its entirety, please login or subscribe to Briefings on The Joint Commission.

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