The Joint Commission International (JCI) announces that beginning April 5, Survey Analysis for Evaluating Risk (SAFER) Matrix, a new approach for identifying and communicating a healthcare organization’s risk levels, will be integrated into JCI’s accreditation survey process for hospitals and academic medical centers. All other accreditation programs will incorporate SAFER Matrix later in 2020.
SAFER Matrix provides one comprehensive, visual representation of survey findings to help healthcare organizations prioritize and focus corrective actions by gauging each cited deficiency’s scope and likelihood to harm patients.
In addition, SAFER Matrix helps heathcare organizations:
- Easily identify findings with higher risk
- Determine need for widespread quality initiatives
- Prioritize resources and focus on strategic improvement plans in areas most in need of compliance activities and interventions
“Making the SAFER Matrix available to JCI-accredited hospitals and academic medical centers is a testament to JCI’s mission to continuously improve patient safety and quality of health care around the world,” says Paula Wilson, president and chief executive officer, JCI. “We look forward to helping healthcare organizations pinpoint their most critical risk areas during survey and work with them to create a strategic plan to improve safety and quality of care.”
Readers should be alerted that this is the international “cousin” of TJC. JCI does not accredit healthcare organizations in the US and has not be deemed by CMS. JCI also has its own set of accreditation standards that are different than those published by TJC (see, e.g., two articles on J Clin Eng comparing these standards).
Thank you for the clarity!