Achieving The Joint Commission Advanced Inpatient Diabetes Care Certification

At this year’s EndoTool User Group Meeting, taking place October 18th in Charlotte, North Carolina, Caroline Isbey, Associate Director Accreditation and Disease-Specific Care Certification at The Joint Commission, will be presenting on the Advanced Inpatient Diabetes Care Certification.

In a Q&A with Caroline, we discuss the certification program and what attendees can plan to learn more about during her presentation at the annual user meeting.

Q: How would you describe your role with the Joint Commission?

A: I support organizations that make the decision to pursue the certification and serve as a resource for these organizations while they prepare for Inpatient Diabetes Care certification.

Q: What is the Advanced Inpatient Diabetes Certification Program?

A: This is a comprehensive program evaluating Inpatient Diabetes Care for all patients admitted with a principle or past medical history of diabetes. The certification includes all areas where care is provided for a patient with diabetes such as the cardiac lab, emergency department, labor and delivery (if the hospital has this unit), pediatric (unless the pediatric care is provided in a free-standing pediatric hospital), critical care unit, etc.

Q: What are some of the eligibility requirements for the certification program?

A: There is a structured program based in evidenced-based medicine known as Clinical Practice Guidelines/ Standards of Care. The program includes all patients with a diabetes diagnosis, not just the patients that the endocrine/ diabetes management team are consulted on. The program has a formalized Performance Improvement program specifically for the diabetes program.

Q: How long does the process for certification typically take?

A: There is not a standard amount of time it takes to achieve certification. It is all dependent on how structured and inclusive the current diabetes management program is.

Q: What advice would you give to organizations considering applying?

A: Achieving this certification is well worth the effort that goes into it, as long as a multidisciplinary team approach is taken. The process to achieve certification helps everyone understand their role of assisting in taking care of a patient with diabetes and what processes are truly working and which are not.

Q: How does the certification benefit organizations?

A: The main benefit is better consistency in the care for patients with diabetes. The message to the patient is that when they come to your hospital, their diagnosis of diabetes is not forgotten. It can reinforce the messages presented in the out-patient education programs. Additionally, achieving the certification assists the organization/ hospital in decreasing the risk of developing never events, which will not be reimbursed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program.