Short Communication Open Access

Primary health care joint commission international standards (jci) to improve quality and patient safety

Abstract

The American Academy of Family Physicians’ (AAFP) define primary care as “Primary care includes health promotion, disease prevention, health maintenance, counseling, patient education, diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic illnesses in a variety of health care settings. Primary care promotes effective communication with patients and encourages the role of the patient as a partner in health care.” The primary health care Joint Commission International Standards (JCI) are organized around the important functions common to all primary care services. The functional organization of standards is the most widely used around the world and has been validated by scientific study, testing, and application. The standards are grouped into two main areas: those related to providing patient care and those related to providing a safe, effective, and well-managed center. These standards apply to the entire primary care center as well as each department, unit, or service within the center. The survey process gathers standards compliance information throughout the center, and the accreditation decision is based on the center’s overall level of compliance. Implementing the primary health care JCI standards has a direct impact on quality and patient safety through encouraging health care leaders to design their system in a standardized manner to promote evidence based practices and scientific approach. JCI standards are designed to promote safe assessment or patients, appropriate care plans, effective medication management, proper structured facilities, a significant involvement of patients and their families in the provided health care services as well as ensure that all health care providers hold the required credentials for their competencies and privileges. The standards focuses on measuring the outcome of care including the quantitative evidence based clinical practice guidelines measures. In this contribution the speaker shall highlight all of the above in more details.`  

 Dr. Zakaria Al Allatal