EC scoring may herald survey compliance pitfalls

Although it may not rank high on your chore list, take close reads of the scoring behind the EC standards, because they give you compliance hints.

A significant amount of the EC elements of performance (EP) are designated with a “C” score, meaning surveyors only have to find two instances of noncompliance to issue a requirement for improvement (RFI), said Steven MacArthur, safety consultant at The Greeley Company, a division of HCPro, Inc., in Marblehead, MA. He spoke during an HCPro audio conference in February, “Physical Environment Compliance 2010: Analyzing The Joint Commission’s Latest Interpretations and Survey Hotspots.”

For example, EC.02.03.05, EP 15, requires hospitals to inspect portable fire extinguishers monthly. If a surveyor finds two extinguishers without proper documentation for the monthly checks, a citation could follow.