How to keep the Joint Commission happy and plaintiff's attorneys frustrated.

With the first minimum standard by the American College of Surgeons in 1918, the credentialing of physicians became formalized Since those days, in which a physician was basically required to be licensed and of high professional, moral, and ethical character, many requirements have been added. All have been appended for the safety and quality of care of our patients. However, liability attorneys have discovered credentialing requirements and found them a veritable gold mine for litigation. As rapidly as the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) offers another standard to help us protect not only our patients but also ourselves in this litigation-bent atmosphere, attorneys engineer a way to bring suit, using the standard as if it were a requirement for prevention of negligence rather than a self-imposed goal for attainment of quality. This article presents a method of credentialing medical staff members that neutralizes the threat of antitrust actions alleging the compromising of livelihood by the denial of membership or clinical privileges. Additionally, the methodology offers maximal protection and integrity of credentialing procedures while optimizing compliance with Joint Commission standards.