ORYX Non-Core Measure Information

The ORYX initiative represents one of The Joint Commission's first steps in focusing the accreditation process on key patient care, treatment, and service issues.  Using ORYX as a tool, The Joint Commission has been changing the accreditation process from one in which health care organizations take a "snapshot" of their performance every three years to one in which they have more of an ongoing picture of their performance from which to continuously focus their quality improvement activities.

Effective with January 1, 2009, discharges, accredited hospitals with an average daily census of greater than ten must select four core measure sets from the listed performance measurement systems that meet The Joint Commission's requirements for inclusion in the accreditation process. If the hospital serves patient populations with conditions that correspond with only three core measure sets, the hospital must collect data on all of the applicable measures in the three core measure sets along with three non-core measures. A hospital that can identify two core measure sets related to its patient population must collect data on all the applicable measures in the two core measure sets along with six non-core measures. A hospital that can identify only one core measure set related to its patient population must collect data on all the applicable measures in that core measure set along with nine non-core measures. Both core and non-core data will be submitted via the selected measurement system. A hospital that cannot identify any applicable core measure sets will collect and transmit data on nine non-core measures via its selected measurement system.

Behavioral health care, home care and long term care accredited organizations are encouraged to consider taking advantage of the option to participate in non-core measurement with a listed measurement system and submitting ORYX performance measure data to The Joint Commission, until such time that relevant core measures are identified and implemented by The Joint Commission.  Participation in a listed performance measurement system will provide comparative data that may not otherwise be readily available and help facilitate ongoing compliance with performance measurement and improvement requirements.

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