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Q&A: What does The Joint Commission say about verifying applicant health status?

Credentialing & Verification Update, October 14, 2008

For Joint Commission-accredited organizations, standards require the organization to not only document the applicant's health status, but also confirm the applicant's health status. The application should directly ask the applicant whether he or she has a physical or mental condition or substance abuse problem that could affect his or her ability to exercise the clinical privileges requested. Additionally, your organization may want to ask whether the applicant has ever been treated for alcohol or drug abuse or sought assistance for any type of mental condition that requires continuous treatment, medication, or management and that may in any way affect his or her practice.

The requirement to confirm the applicant's health status was initially confusing when The Joint Commission first published the standard. Some organizations already have in place the requirement that all applicants complete a health screening prior to being granted membership or privileges--if this is the route you choose, make sure your requirements are specific. You are not asking the applicant's primary care physician to attest to the applicant's general health status; you should be asking whether the applicant is physically able to perform the requested privileges.

Source: The Credentialing Coordinator's Handbook by Anne Roberts, CPMSM, CPCS. HcPro, Inc. 2007.

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