4 July 2013: JCI accreditation of The University Hospital Leuven is reconfirmed

 

PRESS RELEASE

Leuven, 4 July 2013

High-quality and safe patient care in the University Hospitals Leuven reconfirmed

A JCI accreditation is internationally acknowledged and concerns the working of the entire hospital

The University Hospitals Leuven (UZ Leuven) have once again been awarded the internationally acknowledged JCI accreditation following an audit by the Joint Commission International (JCI). JCI sets standards for excellent quality of care and patient safety. UZ Leuven is the only Belgian hospital to have been awarded the JCI accreditation. After securing the first accreditation in 2010, it has now been awarded with a re-accreditation.

Continuous attention for quality

 The international organisation Joint Commission International (JCI) sets standards for excellent quality of care and patient safety. An audit proving that the care institution has realised the JCI standards’ high requirements on the floor, leads to accreditation. Another requirement for accreditation is the organisation’s preparedness to deal with points of improvement and to continue to strive for better care.

UZ Leuven is the only Belgian hospital to secure the JCI accreditation. When UZ Leuven received the first accreditation three years ago, it brought about a trend in which care institutions throughout Flanders started to look at quality as a continuous improvement process.

All aspects of care

JCI assesses the entire spectrum of care: how do care providers deal with patients and the organisation surrounding the patient? A number of criteria that are being looked into: are vulnerable patients receiving safe care? – how does the hospital deal with patients in pain? – do patients receive sufficient information about the treatment? – is the hospital’s medication policy safe? – are privacy and confidentiality secured? – is infection prevention and control dealt with correctly? – has the risk for falls been restricted sufficiently? New for the re-accreditation is that standards specific for university hospitals have been included and that the training of physicians and the process of clinical trials have been assessed. Professor dr. Frank Rademakers, medical director: “We are particularly pleased with the re-accreditation. It confirms that UZ Leuven’s status as a leading hospital where high-quality care in its widest sense remains a big concern. It is also the merit of every UZ Leuven employee and of various partners. In addition, the JCI accreditation has brought about a positive quality spiral. We continue to collaborate with various partners to optimise care patient care in UZ Leuven and Flanders.”

 

More information for the press:

Medical director prof. dr. Frank Rademakers

To be contacted through Suzy Van Hoof, head of the communications,

http://www.uzleuven.be/jci-accreditering

UZ Leuven | Herestraat 49 | B - 3000 Leuven | www.uzleuven.be

 

---