Hospital employees' perception of Joint Commission International Accreditation: effect of re-accreditation.

Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation is a recognized leader in healthcare accreditation worldwide. It aims to improve quality of care, patient safety, and organizational performance. Many hospitals do not apply for re-accreditation after JCI status expires. Understanding employees' perceptions of JCI accreditation would benefit hospital management. We aimed to examine whether re-accredited hospital employees perceived more significant benefits and were more likely to recommend JCI to other hospitals than ex-accredited employees. This is a prospective cross-sectional study with a comparison group design. Survey questionnaires, developed from a qualitative study, included perceptions of challenges, benefits, and overall rating of JCI accreditation. An electronic-based questionnaire was distributed to physicians, nurses, medical technicians, and administrative staff in five private Obstetrics and Gynecology hospitals in China, March-April 2023. Descriptive and linear regression analyses were performed. The statistically significant level is P-value <.05. Of 2326 employees, 1854 (79.7%) were included in the study after exclusions, 1195 were re-accredited, and 659 were ex-accredited. Perceptions of JCI accreditation were positive, as both groups reported a mean score >4.0 regarding the overall benefits. Adjusted for covariates, re-accredited employees were more willing to recommend JCI accreditation to other hospitals than ex-accredited employees. Re-accredited employees perceived greater benefits of JCI accreditation and were more willing to recommend it to other hospitals, suggesting that perceived benefits contribute to a desire to maintain and sustain JCI accreditation. Employee participation is vital for its effective implementation. Employees' perceived challenges and benefits may provide insights for healthcare leaders considering pursuing and reapplying for JCI accreditation.

Fiber-sensor alignment based on surface microstructures.

Conventional methods have relied on specialized imaging equipment and advanced fabrication process to solve the problem of accurately aligning a microsensor to an optical fiber which is critical for its detection efficiency. To dramatically lower the barrier to high-precision alignment, we present a technique much easier to implement and much lower in cost. By fabricating replicable alignment and proximity structures on the surface of the sensor chip, we can achieve accurate alignment and position the fiber tip very close to the sensor without damaging it. We introduce an easy setup to examine the alignment result and demonstrate accurate alignment of dummy sensors as small as 5µm×5µm. We use our alignment method to realize efficient input coupling for a superconducting transition-edge sensor as an example of fruitful adoption in many possible applications.

Aligning Superconducting Transition-Edge Sensors by Reflected Wave Intensity Measurement.

It is critical to accurately align a quantum photon detector such as a superconducting transition-edge sensor (TES) to an optical fiber in order to optimize its detection efficiency. Conventionally, such alignment requires advanced infrared imaging equipment or sophisticated microfabrication. We introduce a novel technique based on the simple idea of reflected wave intensity measurement which allows to determine the boundary of the sensor and align it accurately with the fiber. By routing a light wave through an optical fiber for normal incidence on the surface of the sensor chip, and separating the reflected wave coupled back into the fiber from the input signal with a circulator, we can observe the variation in the reflected wave intensity when the beam spot of the fiber crosses the boundary between the sensor and substrate that have different reflectivity, and adjust the position of the fiber such that its output falls on the sensor. We evaluate quantitatively the precision of our alignment method, as well as the conditions that must be met to avoid photon loss caused by light beam divergence. After demonstrating the working principle of our scheme and verifying the alignment result experimentally, we employ it for efficient input signal coupling to a TES device, which is used for photon-number-resolving measurement to showcase the successful application of our alignment method in practice. Relying on only ordinary and widely used optical elements that are easy to operate and low in cost, our solution is much less demanding than conventional methods. Dramatically easier to implement and not restricted by the detection mechanism of the sensor, it is accessible to a much broader community.

Perceptions of Chinese hospital leaders on joint commission international accreditation: a qualitative study.

Background: Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation plays a significant role in improving the quality of care and patient safety worldwide. Hospital leadership is critical in making international accreditation happen with successful implementation. Little is known about how Chinese hospital leaders experienced and perceived the impact of JCI accreditation. This paper is the first study to explore the perceptions of hospital leaders toward JCI accreditation in China. Methods: Qualitative semi-structured interviews were used to explore the perceptions of the chief operating officers, the chief medical officers, and the chief quality officers in five JCI-accredited hospitals in China. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the interview transcripts and identify the main themes. Results: Fifteen hospital leaders participated in the interviews. Three themes emerged from the analysis, namely the motivations, challenges, and benefits related to pursuing and implementing JCI accreditation. The qualitative study found that eight factors influenced hospital leadership to pursue JCI accreditation, five challenges were identified with implementing JCI standards, and eight benefits emerged from the leadership perspective. Conclusion: Pursuing JCI accreditation is a discretionary decision by the hospital leadership. Participants were motivated by prevalent perceptions that JCI requirements would be used as a management tool to improve the quality of care and patient safety in their hospitals. These same organizational leaders identified challenges associated with implementing and sustaining JCI accreditation. The significant challenges were a clear understanding of the foreign accreditation standards, making staff actively participate in JCI processes, and changing staff behaviors accordingly. The top 5 perceived benefits to JCI accreditation from the leaders' perspective were improved leadership and hospital safety, improvements in the care processes, and the quality of care and the learning culture improved. Other perceived benefits include enhanced reputation, better cost containment, and a sense of pride in the staff in JCI-accredited hospitals.