The Differences in the Standards and Requirements of Companies - Essay Example

Clinical privileging, however, is not required by the NCQA whereas the Joint Commission mandates the need for the resources that would be able to support clinical privileges. All in all, there are both subtle and glaring differences and they could be primarily found in the accreditation standards. Also, there is the fact that NCQA emphasizes consumers as well as employers through the information they release that focuses on their classifications of healthcare organizations according to quality.


2) Follow this link: http://www.jcrinc.com/The-Joint-Commission-Organization/ Note the size and corporate structure of the joint commission. Why are the “firewalls” necessary?

The so-called “firewalls” or policies drafted and being implemented that serve as barriers between the numerous subsidiaries of the Joint Commission are necessary because they address criticisms about the fairness, ethics, and conflicts of interest when a subsidiary could undermine the accreditation standards of the organization. For instance, Joint Commission Resources – a Joint Commission subsidiary – offers consultation services to hospitals about achieving Joint Commission accreditation. Conflict of interest would certainly arise. But the “firewalls” are supposed to maintain credibility for the Joint Commission accreditation standards since it prevents the sharing of information among subsidiaries.

3) Compare and contrast the use of licensure and accreditation in terms of accountability and quality improvement.

Both licensure and accreditation are ways to ensure quality. However, they could be fundamentally differentiated by the body that dispenses them. The government is responsible for licensure while mostly-private organizations issue accreditation. The implication of this is significant in terms of accountability and quality improvement. With licensure, there is a judicial element that connotes mandatory requirements and that individuals or organizations cannot practice or exercise a certain activity when they fail the licensure requirements. With accreditation, the rudiments are more lenient since the accrediting organization is the one accepting the responsibility both to the healthcare industry as well as the public when they issue their seal of approval. (Saracho and Spodek, p. 83) Here, there is less accountability because the accrediting organization instead of the person assumes responsibility. The mandatory and voluntary variables between these two quality assurance mechanisms spell huge differences in effecting quality improvement.



4) Why are purchasers increasingly interested in a new model for VBP?
Today, there is a sustained increase in costs in healthcare that threaten profit margins prompting employers to resort to various cost-saving measures. One of the most important of these is value-based purchasing (VBP) or the “organized attempts by purchasers to ensure and improve the quality of health programs when negotiating costs with providers and insurers.”(Pizzi & Lofland p. 66) Read More