Editor's Note The Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare is collaborating with the Johns Hopkins, Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento, and Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospitals to identify root causes of and solutions for reducing rates of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers and injuries. Following completion of the “Reducing hospital-acquired pressure injuries” project in…

Read More

Editor's Note The Joint Commission on September 26 announced a collaboration with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) that will incorporate AAOS’ clinical expertise into development of  standards and performance measurement requirements for the Joint Commission's Total Hip and Knee Replacement (THKR) Certification. The Joint Commission and AAOS will…

Read More

Editor's Note The Joint Commission on September 26 released its sentinel event statistics for the first half of 2018. Of the top 10 most frequently reported events, falls were first at 65 events, unintended retention of a foreign body was second at 61 events, wrong-site surgery was fourth at 45…

Read More

Editor' Note The Joint Commission in partnership with the American Heart Association recently approved a new certification program that will provide an independent evaluation of an organization's eligibility to qualify as a comprehensive cardiac center. After reviewing program requirements, the Joint Commission identified the following areas for revision: Collaborative model…

Read More

Editor's Note The Joint Commission on September 19 released the “Top 5” requirements identified most frequently as “not compliant” during accreditation surveys and reviews in the first half of 2018. The Top 5 most challenging for Hospital Accreditation are: LS.02.01.35 The hospital provides and maintains systems for extinguishing fires (88%).…

Read More

Editor's Note The Joint Commission and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on September 11 released new infection prevention resources for podiatry and orthopedic and pain management settings. Free resources include: Guide to Infection Prevention for Outpatient Podiatry Settings (available now). Guide to Infection Prevention in Orthopedic and Pain Management…

Read More

Editor's Note The Joint Commission on September 5 announced it has refined its scoring for high-level disinfection (HLD) and sterilization to focus on process steps that post the highest risk to patients if they fail. The new scoring revisions apply to: soiled instruments enzymatic solution transportation of instruments instruments in…

Read More

Editor's Note The Joint Commission on August 29 announced that it has concluded its efforts to streamline and consolidate its elements of performance (EPs) for its accreditation programs as part of its EP Review Project. The Equipment Management chapter of the Home Care Accreditation program and the Leadership chapter for…

Read More

Editor's Note The Joint Commission on August 28 issued a new Quick Safety advisory that focuses on evidenced-based, nonopioid and nonpharmacologic treatment options for pain. Among the options: behavioral/cognitive/psychological interventions (ie, meditation, progressive muscle relaxation) environmental-based interventions (ie, lighting alterations, music therapy) physical interventions (ie, acupuncture, massage therapy, spinal manipulation)…

Read More

Editor's Note A multidisciplinary group gathered at an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality conference to develop a research agenda that includes immediately actionable and long-term research strategies to mitigate the emotional toll of harmful medical events on patients and families. The group reached consensus on four research priorities: Establish…

Read More