Joint Commission warns against rudeness, hostility

OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. – The Joint Commission, which accredits health care organizations, issued a “sentinel event alert” last week warning that rude language and hostile behavior among health care professionals goes beyond being unpleasant and poses a serious threat to patient safety and the overall quality of care.
Along with the alert, the commission is introducing new standards requiring the more than 15,000 organizations that it accredits to create codes of conduct that define acceptable and unacceptable behaviors and establish a formal process for managing unacceptable behavior.
The new standards are to take effect Jan. 1 for hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies, laboratories, ambulatory care facilities and behavioral health care facilities.
In a news release about the alert, the commission said health care leaders and caregivers “have known for years that intimidating and disruptive behaviors are a serious problem,” and that “verbal outbursts, condescending attitudes, refusing to take part in assigned duties and physical threats all create breakdowns in the teamwork, communication and collaboration necessary to deliver patient care.”
The commission also cited a report by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices showing that 40 percent of clinicians had kept quiet or remained passive during patient care events rather than question a known “intimidator.”
“Most health care workers do their jobs with care, compassion and professionalism,” said Dr. Mark R. Chassin, president of The Joint Commission. “But sometimes professionalism breaks down and caregivers engage in behaviors that threaten patient safety. It is important for organizations to take a stand by clearly identifying such behaviors and refusing to tolerate them.”
The “sentinel event alert” recommends 11 specific steps, including educational measures, accountability measures, a “zero-tolerance” policy, and a system to “detect and receive reports of unprofessional behavior.”
More information is available at www.jointcommission.org/NewsRoom/NewsReleases/nr_07_09_08.htm.