Joint Commission announces new performance measure for newborns

Editor's Note

The Joint Commission on July 31 announced a new performance measure, “PC-06 Unexpected Complications in Term Newborns,” effective January 1, 2019.

The new measure will be added to the five measures already required for accredited hospitals with at least 300 live births per year.

PC-06 requires hospitals to identify the percentage of full-term infants without pre-existing conditions who have unexpected complications.

The Joint Commission has identified a lack of metrics that specifically assess health outcomes in term infants, and for which PC-06 is designed to address.