Health Blog Q&A: Improving Hospital Safety - WSJ

Behind the scenes at the nation’s hospitals, a nonprofit group called the Joint Commission helps set the agenda for patient safety.

The Joint Commission inspects and accredits hospitals, and many other health-care facilities, for quality. Ultimately, though rarely, it disqualifies failing institutions from payment by Medicare, a crippling blow. Critics say conflicts of interest, bureaucracy and a reluctance to penalize poor performers have limited the Joint Commission’s effectiveness. Only in 2006, for instance, did the Joint Commission begin to pop in on hospitals without advanced notice.