Study: JC-accredited hospitals found to be teeming with bacteria
Accreditation Connection, July 23, 2007
A study conducted by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America found a lack of hygiene in hospitals, with more than half of surfaces meant to be cleaned for new patients left dirty, according to US News & World Report. The report goes on to say that California hospital inspectors, when investigating public complaints about hospitals accredited by The Joint Commission within the previous year, found unsanitary conditions in 25% of the cases.
The report also found that most state health departments and federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention do not measure cleanliness. According to a statement made by Robert Wise, vice president for standards and survey methods, if a Joint Commission surveyor discovers a messy or unclean room, he or she will trace back to find out how this occurred, but specifics as to bacteria levels and methods for cleaning rooms are not set in the standards.
The complete report can be found here.
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