Report a quality and safety issue with a JCI health care organization

Submission of Complaints

Complaints for any JCI accredited organization can be sent by mail or e-mail. Please include the following:

• 1-2 pages summarizing the issues (in English, when possible)
• Name, street address, city, and country of the health care organization
• Name and contact information of the individual submitting the complaint (optional)

Complaints that contain contact information will allow JCI to follow-up with the submitter about any actions taken or to request additional necessary information.

The name and contact information of the individual or individuals submitting the complaint will be kept confidentialand not disclosed to any other party without the express permission of the submitter, unless otherwise required by law.  However, it may be necessary to share the complaint with the subject organization in the course of JCI’s review.

JCI will review and evaluate all complaints, as appropriate, based on the information JCI receives. JCI requires that accredited organizations must ensure that no retaliatory actions will be taken against individuals who submit complaints to JCI.

Complaints may be submitted to:

Email: jciquality@jcrinc.com

Mail:
Quality and Safety Monitoring
Joint Commission International Accreditation
1515 W. 22nd Street, Suite 1300W
Oak Brook, IL 60523  USA

Scope of Complaint Evaluation

Complaint information about JCI accredited organizations is used to strengthen the oversight activities of JCI and improve the quality of care and safety of patients in accredited facilities. JCI will address all complaints that relate to issues within the scope of the international standards to determine whether they raise any credible suggestion of failure to comply with standards. These include issues such as patient rights, care of patients, safety, infection control, medication use and security.

JCI will not address individual billing issues and payment disputes, as well as issues for which JCI has no jurisdiction such as labor relations, and the individual clinical management of a patient.  JCI is not an appropriate forum for the resolution of concerns about the clinical management of an individual patient.  JCI does not review complaints of any kind in unaccredited organizations.

JCI Response to a Complaint

JCI encourages individuals to first bring the complaint to the attention of the health care organization's leaders. If this does not lead to resolution, the complaint should be brought to JCI for review.  JCI’s response to a complaint begins with a review of past complaints about the organization, if any, and the organization's accreditation survey report. Depending on the nature of the complaint, JCI will take one or more of the following actions:

• Where serious concerns have been raised about patient safety or standards compliance, JCI may conduct an on-site evaluation of the organization.
• JCI may ask the health care organization to provide a written response to the complaint.
• JCI may incorporate the complaint into the quality monitoring database that is used to continuously track the performance of accredited health care organizations over time.
• JCI may review the complaint at the time of the health care organization's next scheduled accreditation survey if it is scheduled in the near future.

Release of Complaint Information

Upon request, JCI provides the number of complaints an organization has had that met the criteria for review. After JCI completes its review, the following information, as appropriate, will be provided to the complainant:

• Any determination that the complaint is not related to JCI standards
• If the complaint is related to standards, the course of action (i.e., a request for a written response or on-site evaluation) that was taken regarding the complaint, including the specific standards that  were evaluated, any standards for which recommendations for improvement were issued as a result of the review and, when applicable, any change in the organization’s accreditation status.

The JCI field will receive regular publication of the Quality and Safety Monitoring Process through the annual Executive Briefings conference and the quarterly newsletter, JCI Insight.

Review Criteria

JCI will use established objective criteria to guide its disposition and analysis of complaints and other information received regarding JCI accredited health care organizations. The review criteria encompass initial screening criteria, and three levels of priorities. JCI staff assign initial priorities at the complaint triage stage.  Prioritization may be revised after further analysis, receipt of additional information, and/or consultation with other staff. The complaint review process and assignment of priority evaluates the established policies and procedures of the organization, laws and regulations of the country to the extent JCI is aware of such laws, and potential cultural influences.

Screening Criteria

• The organization is currently accredited by JCI.
• The complaint/incident information is relevant to JCI standards.
• The information relates to the organization’s performance within the past three years.
• The information provided is sufficiently clear to determine its specific pertinence to the organization, without doubt.