HCFA overrules JCAHO restraint standard.

The Joint Commission has issued new regulations on seclusion and restraints. The new rules call for a face-to-face assessment of a restrained patient within four hours, but they may not have much meaning because the HCFA regulations requiring a one-hour assessment will prevail for facilities with Medicare patients. This could mean problems for small hospitals and other facilities that lack 24-hour medical staff.