Mission: To continuously improve the safety and quality of care in the international community through the provision of education and consultation services and international accreditation and certification.
Joint Commission International (JCI) was established in 1997 as a division of Joint Commission Resources, Inc. (JCR), a private, not-for-profit affiliate of The Joint Commission. JCI extends The Joint Commission’s mission worldwide by assisting international health care organizations, public health agencies, health ministries and others to improve the quality and safety of patient care in more than 80 countries.
In September 2007, JCI received accreditation by the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua). A non-profit, independent organization with members in more than 70 countries, ISQua is known as the accreditor of accrediting bodies. Accreditation by ISQua provides assurance that the standards, training and processes used by JCI to survey the performance of health care organizations meet the highest international benchmarks for accreditation entities.
WHO Collaborating Centre for Patient Safety Solutions
In August 2005, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated The Joint Commission and JCI as the world’s first and only WHO Collaborating Centre dedicated solely to patient safety (http://www.ccforpatientsafety.org/). By working collaboratively with ministries of health, national patient safety organizations and experts, health care professional organizations, and patient/consumer groups, the Collaborating Centre focuses worldwide attention on Patient Safety Solutions, Patient Safety Practices and other issues related to reducing safety risks to patients.
High 5s Project: This project was established in 2007 by the Collaborating Centre to implement innovative, standardized operating protocols for five patient safety solutions over five years. This initiative seeks to leverage the implementation of solutions that would have broad impacts in preventing avoidable catastrophic adverse events — such as death or serious injury — in hospitals.
The following five solution areas have been selected as the focus of the High 5s Project:
- Prevention of patient care hand-over errors
- Prevention of wrong site/wrong procedure/wrong person surgical errors
- Prevention of continuity of medication errors
- Prevention of high concentration drug errors
- Promotion of effective hand hygiene practices
Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States are participating. Within each country, a designated lead technical agency enrolls approximately 10 hospitals to implement standardized operating protocols for up to five patient safety solutions. These hospitals comprise an international learning laboratory in which the solutions’ effect upon health care delivery and patient safety can be monitored.
Over time, the project will encourage participating countries to use their established relationships with other nations — particularly developing and transitional countries — to transfer the knowledge necessary to facilitate the systematic implementation of patient safety solutions in these countries.
International accreditation and certification
JCI’s Accreditation Program was launched in 1999. The standards were developed by international experts and set uniform, achievable expectations for structures, processes and outcomes for health care organizations. The requirements for accreditation also include international patient safety goals that highlight problematic areas in health care and describe evidence and expert-based consensus solutions to these problems. The survey process is designed to accommodate specific legal, religious and cultural factors within a country. JCI offers accreditation for hospitals, ambulatory care facilities, clinical laboratories, care continuum services, medical transport organizations and primary care services; and certification in disease- or condition- specific care.
Currently, JCI has two international partners for the purpose of offering both a national and international accreditation award at the same time. The Fundación para la Acreditación y Desarrollo Asistencial (FADA) in Spain and the Associação Brasileira de Acreditação de Sistemas E Servicos De Saude (known as CBA) in Brazil use the same standards, survey process and accreditation decision rules as JCI, and the accreditation decisions are jointly decided. In addition, these international partners provide surveyors and staff who understand the national health care systems, language and culture.
JCI’s Disease- or Condition-Specific Care Certification Program was launched in 2006. This program differs from accreditation in that it is a comprehensive evaluation of disease- or condition-specific services, while accreditation is a comprehensive evaluation of the overall quality and safety of an entire organization. Certification standards apply to a variety of health care programs, including: primary stroke, maternal and well child care, chronic kidney disease, HIV/AIDS, oncology care, cardiac disease, and diabetes care.
International consulting
Since 1994, JCI Consulting has provided education and technical assistance services to health care organizations, ministries of health, accrediting bodies, and other entities outside of the United States. During the last 15 years, JCI has established a solid record of assisting health care organizations and governmental agencies in more than 80 countries. JCI provides practical solutions to help develop clinical services, improve the quality of care, enhance patient safety, reduce and manage risk, and reach international standards and other goals. JCI consultants offer the following services:
- Developing and improving operations
- Developing a national or regional quality evaluation system
- Networking and education
- Measuring performance and developing an ongoing program of quality improvement that is essential to achieving ― and maintaining― standards compliance.
The International Essentials for Quality and Patient Safety™
The Essentials Framework is a guide to the hospital risk points that have the greatest impact on patient care. It helps organizations design and implement a risk reduction program to improve patient safety. The Essentials Framework highlights five main areas of risk. Under each main area, 10 criteria have been identified to help organizations drill down into specific risk practices. The main categories are:
- Leadership process and accountability
- Competent and capable workforce
- Safe environment for staff and patients
- Clinical care of patients
- Improving quality and safety
The Essentials Framework is provided free of charge. To receive a copy, go to http://12.228.160.93/acreg.aspx.
For more information about The Essentials or JCI implementation assistance, contact essentials@jcrinc.com.
Other services
JCI offers international conferences and symposia on quality and patient safety issues, audio conferences, standards manuals and other quality improvement books. In addition, individuals can subscribe to Joint Commission International eZine, JCI’s official bi-monthly, online newsletter.
The JCI Knowledge Network offers a full range of interactive education and training programs focused on leadership, quality improvement and patient safety, as well as JCI accreditation preparation. The Network offers on-site or online courses, e-Knowledge courses, and tools such as the International Self Assessment System
For more information
Visit http://www.jointcommissioninternational.org/ or call +1 (630) 268-7400.
JCI headquarters
1515 West 22nd Street
Suite 1300W
Oak Brook, Illinois 60523, U.S.A.
+1 (630) 268-7400
European offices
13, Chemin du Levant
Immeuble JB Say
F-01210 Ferney-Voltaire, France
+33 04 50 42 60 82
Via Beatrice d'Este,
20100, Milano, Italy
+39 02 890 75 940
Middle East office
P.O. Box 505018
Dubai Healthcare City
Dubai, UAE
+971 4369 4930
JCI Asia Pacific office
37th Floor
Singapore Land Tower
50 Raffles Place
Singapore 048623
+65 6829 7208
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