Joint Commission adds new performance measure for THKR certification

Editor's Note

The Joint Commission, on January 20, announced that data collection for a new standardized performance measure assessing a patient’s functional and health status postoperatively will be required for the Advanced Certification for Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement (THKR) program.

Organizations will be required to assess a patient’s postoperative status with the goal of converting this new measure to an outcome measure to show improvement after surgery.

The standardized measures will now be:

• THKR-1: Regional anesthesia
• THKR-2: Postoperative ambulation on day of surgery
• THKR-3: Discharge to home
• THKR-4: Preoperative functional/health status assessment
• THKR-5: Postoperative functional/health status assessment (new measure).

All currently certified THKR organizations and those seeking initial certification are required to collect data on this new measure, beginning with discharges on and after July 1, 2021, the Joint Commission says.