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What Is Joint Commission?

The Joint Commission is an agency that provides accreditation status to health-care organizations that comply with their standards of patient care. The Joint Commission has made it a mission to research what practices provide the best health care to patients.

  1. Standards of Performance

    • The Joint Commission has hundreds of performance standards that organizations must comply with, and regular surveys monitor performance.

    On-site Surveys

    • The Joint Commission conducts on-site, unannounced surveys of organizations seeking the commission's "Gold Seal of Approval." The surveys use direct observation, staff interviews and reviews of hospital data to determine compliance.

    Periodic Performance Reviews

    • Each accredited organization must submit an annual report on its compliance status for each standard. If an organization is non-compliant in a particular area, it must submit a plan of action to correct its performance.

    Considerations

    • Certain standards require measures of performance by which each organization must regularly collect data for to report to the Joint Commission as part of its Periodic Performance Review.

    Insurance Reimbursements

    • When a hospital or other health-care organization achieves the Gold Seal of Approval, insurance reimbursements typically are higher than those for unaccredited organizations, because accredited organizations have proved they have higher-quality standards and put patient safety first.

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