Joint Commission Standards Overview

The joint commission logo
The joint commission
  1. Joint Commission Standards
    Purpose: These standards are designed to help healthcare organizations assess and improve performance, focusing on crucial aspects of patient care and organizational functions.
    Content: They encompass a wide range of care delivery processes, ensuring comprehensive reviews of patient care experiences.
    Application: Used across various healthcare settings, they address complex issues and identify vulnerabilities in patient care.
    Availability: The standards are available in both print and electronic formats and can be purchased from Joint Commission Resources®.
  2. National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG)
    Purpose: NPSGs are specific goals aimed at improving patient safety.
    Content: They address critical safety issues in healthcare settings, often focusing on problems such as medication errors, patient identification, and infection prevention.
    Updates: The NPSGs are updated annually to reflect the evolving challenges in patient safety.
  3. Field Reviews
    Process: Field reviews are part of the ongoing updates to the Joint Commission standards, where healthcare professionals contribute to the development of new or revised standards.
    Participation: Professionals from various healthcare settings can provide input and comments on proposed requirements.
  4. Prepublication Standards
    Purpose: These standards are issued to communicate upcoming changes to the existing standards and Elements of Performance (EPs).
    Format: They are published before being included in the official E-dition and comprehensive manuals.
  5. Standards FAQs
    Function: This section addresses frequently asked questions regarding the Joint Commission standards, offering clarifications and interpretations.
    Utility: It’s a valuable resource for healthcare organizations seeking to understand and implement the standards correctly.
  6. Universal Protocol
    Objective: The Universal Protocol is part of the National Patient Safety Goals, focusing on preventing wrong site, wrong procedure, and wrong person surgery.
    Content: It includes guidelines and checklists to ensure correct patient identity, the correct site, and the correct procedure before surgery.
  7. Requirements
    Description: This is a free listing of all policy revisions to standards published in the Joint Commission Perspectives.
    Relevance: It’s essential for keeping up-to-date with the latest changes in standards since the last issuance of the accreditation/certification manual.