Final answer:
During disasters, hospitals may grant disaster privileges to volunteer practitioners with proper ID, under medical staff executive oversight, and conducting primary source verification as soon as possible.
Step-by-step explanation:
Granting Disaster Privileges in Hospitals
During extraordinary circumstances such as disasters, hospitals may need to grant disaster privileges to volunteer licensed independent practitioners to meet the surge in healthcare demands. According to the Joint Commission standards, hospitals can do this provided certain conditions are met for the safety and quality of patient care. The practitioner must present two forms of identification, one of which must be a valid government-issued photo ID.
There is also a requirement for medical staff executive oversight to ensure proper management and accountability during the disaster response. The primary source verification of the volunteer practitioner’s credentials must occur as soon as the situation permits, rather than strictly within a predefined timeframe such as 48 or 72 hours. This reflects the reality that during a disaster, immediate patient care needs may take precedence over administrative processes, but they should still be carried out as promptly as the circumstances allow.