HEALTH

Hospital Accrediting Group Criticized: The consumer advocacy group Public Citizen claims the organization that accredits 80% of the nation’s hospitals is so intertwined with the industry that it cannot be a rigorous advocate for safety and quality. Dr. Sidney Wolfe of Public Citizen said the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations continues to accredit hospitals because it views them as partners or customers to be kept satisfied. He said state governments should do the accrediting, not the commission, which is funded through fees paid by the hospitals, nursing homes and other facilities it accredits. Both the JCAHO and hospitals disagreed with Public Citizen’s analysis of the situation. “Neither health care itself nor its evaluation are perfect processes,” the commission said. But work by the JCAHO has significantly improved quality at hospitals across the country, it said.