Joint Commission Organisation Unveils New Telehealth Accreditation Program for Providers

A new Telehealth Accreditation Program (TEL) was recently introduced by The Joint Commission Organisation, a major independent body in the healthcare industry that tailors its programs toward telehealth providers. The launch date for this program is July 1, 2024, and the objective of the Telehealth Accreditation Program is to create a standardized model for delivering care through telehealth systems— which are intended to be safe and of high quality.

Telehealth is being increasingly adopted especially in the wake of COVID-19 which is what led the Joint Commission Organisation to come up with this program. “In the United States, the number of telehealth providers surged by 154% during the early days of the pandemic,” shared Jonathan B. Perlin, MD, PhD, who serves as the president and CEO of The Joint Commission Organisation. He further added, “With telehealth still on its evolutionary path, this new program pledges that patient safety will always take precedence no matter where care is provided.”

While the telehealth providers accreditation program keeps hold of many existing Joint Commission Organisation accreditation standards — like leadership, information management & medication management alongside patient identification, documentation, and credentialing — it introduces a set of novel requirements specific to telehealth.

  • Streamlined Emergency Management: Addressing the unique challenges of providing remote care and clinical support.
  • Telehealth Education: Establishing standards for both healthcare providers and patients regarding the proper use of telehealth platforms and devices.
  • Telehealth Equipment and Connectivity: Ensuring reliable equipment, devices, and internet connectivity for seamless telehealth interactions.

The Joint Commission Organisation has a viewpoint that telehealth providers’ accreditation can provide value to telehealth entities. Based on this belief, the specific requirements may differ from one telehealth modality and the service provided through another. Accreditation signifies that a telehealth organization is committed to meeting standards which will promote them as an organization holding a good reputation — marketable as well. Additionally, it would act as part of due diligence efforts by showing evidence of legal compliance with some regulations set forth for the operation of telehealth services.

Mark your calendars for May 2024. It is during this month that The Joint Commission Organisation will publish the official TEL program requirements on its website. We strongly advise all eligible telehealth providers to keep an eye out for the program specifics and ponder over seeking accreditation— a move that guarantees alignment to top-tier standards of quality and safety in the realm of telehealthcare provision.

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