Joint Commission deletes stringent recipient notification standard

A memo from America's Blood Centers (reproduced with permission) reads:

The Joint Commission (JC) has deleted Standard PC.05.01.01 that would require blood suppliers to notify hospitals within three calendar days after it determines that a blood product collected from a donor who tested negative at the time of donation subsequently tests reactive for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) or Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection on a later donation, or subsequently is determined to be at increased risk for transmitting HIV or HCV.

It was noted in a document published by the JC, "Changes to Accreditation Requirements between January 5, 2009 and March 26, 2009 documents Hospital Accreditation Program" page 65, that the "requirement was removed since it was already covered in existing elements of performance or was addressed in the Joint Commission survey process."

The memo continues to cite new standards referring hospitals to existing CFR documents.