a harvard led research study published in the bmj found that us hospital accreditation by independent organizations was not associated with lower mortality or with reduced readmission rates for common medical conditions. the authors concluded that there was no advantage for patients to choose a hospital accredited by the joint commission over a hospital accredited by another independent accrediting organization. the wall street journal suggested that the underlying reasons for this is the failure of the joint commission to revoke or modify the accreditation status of hospitals with major infractions considered to be so significant they caused, or were likely to cause, a risk of serious injury or death to patients.