Health care organizations often believe that all the standards The Joint Commission evaluates for compliance are specific to The Joint Commission. In fact, The Joint Commission surveys for compliance against its own standards as well as certain regulatory requirements.
This confusion or myth can result in health care organizations pointing the finger at The Joint Commission unfairly.
“Organizations frequently establish stringent requirements well beyond our standards, and they then get scored as being out of compliance. We get blamed for this, and that’s how myths arise that we require things when we do not!”
David Baker, MD, MACP
Executive Vice President, Healthcare Quality Evaluation and Improvement, The Joint Commission
The Joint Commission even evaluates health care organizations' adherence to their own policies.
Which other agencies’ and regulatory bodies’ standards fall under The Joint Commission compliance evaluation? The Joint Commission’s own standards, of course, but also:
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Conditions of Participation
- Manufacturer’s instructions of use and evidence-based performance standards intended to improve quality and safety
- Other applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations