The Joint Commission (TJC) has released revisions to the Leadership and Medical Staff chapters of the Hospital Standards in order to comply with CMS requirements for deeming authority.
Currently, TJC accepts credentialing and privileging by proxy. CMS currently requires that telemedicine providers be credentialed by both the originating and distant sites. TJC would have allowed the originating site (where the patient is located) to accept the credentials and privileges granted by the distant site (where the provider is located) if the distant site is TJC accredited and complies with the appropriate Medical Staff standards.
TJC has revised its telemedicine standards to comply with the CMS rule, but continues to work with CMS and Congress to accept credentialing by proxy by the distant site.
The revised standard is effective July 15, 2010 and can be found here:
http://www.jointcommission.org/NR/rdonlyres/73A1C766-37B6-4EB2-BEB3-2A59C2BE841E/0/CMS_ChangestoCMSHospitalStandards_EPs_July15_20090929.pdf.
Source: The Joint Commission
2 comments:
Is there anything NAMSS is doing to urge CMS to accept the current Joint Commission regulations on telemedicine credentialing by proxy? This would create an intense burden on our "one-person" credentialing department, as we currently have 26 teleradiologists on staff.
NAMSS is working on a white paper identifying standards and regulations that are causing redundant work for MSPs. The telemedicine credentialing procedure has been identified by the membership as one of these redundant areas. The paper, including possible solutions will be released in early 2010.
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