ORYX PLUS: what you must know about JCAHO's 'accelerated option'.

Even though the deadline for participation in the Joint Commission's ORYX initiative has finally arrived, your hospital still has the option of participating in ORYX PLUS, the initiative's "accelerated option." But should it? Critics contend that the potential benefits of participation in ORYX PLUS are outweighed by its cost, labor requirements, disclosure requirements, and lack of relevance to smaller hospitals. The Joint Commission counters that because ORYX PLUS' performance measures and risk-adjusted methods are standard for all participating measurement systems, hospitals can be assured that they're participating in a valid and reliable database.