Examining the Infuence of Joint Commission International (JCI) Accreditation
Surveys on Medication Safety Practices: A Cross-Sectional Study from Mediclinic
Welcare Hospital in Dubai, UAE
Mohammed Sallam
1
* and Ahmad Hamdan
2
1
Department of Pharmacy, Mediclinic Welcare Hospital, Mediclinic Middle East, Dubai, UAE
2
Department of Nursing, Mediclinic Welcare Hospital, Mediclinic Middle East, Dubai, UAE
Citation: Sallam M, Hamdan A (2023) Examining the Infuence of Joint Commission International (JCI) Accreditation Surveys
on Medication Safety Practices: A Cross-Sectional Study from Mediclinic Welcare Hospital in Dubai, UAE. J Integrated Health
2023;2(4):68-79. DOI: doi.org/10.51219/JIH/Mohammed-Sallam/13
Received: 03 October, 2023; Accepted: 10 October, 2023; Published: 12 October, 2023
*Corresponding author: Mohammed Sallam, Department of Pharmacy, Mediclinic Welcare Hospital, Mediclinic Middle East,
Dubai, UAE, mohammed.sallam@mediclinic.ae
Copyright: © 2023 Sallam M., et al., Tis is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons
Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author
and source are credited.
1
Research Article
Vol: 2 & Iss: 4
https://urfpublishers.com/journal/integrated-health
Journal of Integrated Health
1. Introduction
Quality evaluation in healthcare is gaining global attention
from governments, providers, and consumers alike
1-3
. The
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has severely
strained global health and social systems and resources
4,5
.
Pandemic-related disruptions to quality activities may
compromise the future readiness of health systems
6
. Investing
in healthcare quality measurement is vital for fostering resilient,
patient-centered, and sustainable healthcare systems
7-9
. High-
quality and safe healthcare systems yield improved health
ISSN: 2583-5386
DOI: doi.org/10.51219/JIH/Mohammed-Sallam/13
outcomes and generate confdence and economic benefts
7
.
Ensuring quality patient care is a top priority for physicians and
healthcare facilities, driven by the goal of achieving standardized
quality and patient safety
10-12
. However, measuring healthcare
quality attributes such as safety, timeliness, consistency, and
accuracy is challenging beyond subjective assessments by the
custome
10
.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Vision 2021 National
Agenda aims to establish a globally benchmarked healthcare
system
13
. This involved accrediting all public and private
A B S T R A C T
Te Joint Commission International (JCI) Accreditation is recognized for its role in ensuring healthcare quality and patient
safety. However, there is insufcient research investigating the specifc efects of JCI surveys on medication safety practices. Tis
study aimed to evaluate the impact of JCI surveys on medication safety practices at Mediclinic Welcare Hospital (MWEL) located
in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). A cross-sectional survey was used to collect data from healthcare providers (HCPs) at
MWEL who had previously participated in at least one JCI survey. Te study instrument included structured questions to assess
HCPs experiences, perceptions, and recommendations regarding the impact of JCI surveys on various aspects of healthcare
delivery, including medication safety practices. Te fnal sample consisted of 176 HCPs, and most respondents strongly agreed
that repeated JCI surveys positively infuenced medication safety practices and culture. Te study fndings consistently indicated
a positive perception among HCPs regarding the impact of hospital accreditation on medication management and use safety
culture, medication-related outcome measures, and overall efciencies. Tis study contributed to the existing knowledge regarding
the impact of JCI assessments on medication safety practices among HCPs with diverse demographics and backgrounds. Te
study recommends improving medication safety practices in healthcare organizations and guides future research eforts. Te
fndings of this study shed light on the efectiveness of JCI surveys in promoting medication safety practices within MWEL and
identify the factors that may impact this relationship.
Keywords: Healthcare accreditation, Quality improvement, Medication safety practices, Patient safety measures, Healthcare
professionals