Joint Commission Topic Library

Ambulatory Health Care, Hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, Behavioral Health Care, Laboratory Services, Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Office-Based Surgery, Home Care, Advanced Certification , Disease-Specific Care, Health Care Staffing Services, Palliative Care

Speak Up: Tips for Your Doctor's Visit

Updated brochure provides tips to help patients during doctor visits.

06/03/2013

Facts about Speak Up™ Initiatives

The Joint Commission’s award winning Speak Up™ program urges patients to take an active role in preventing health care errors by becoming involved and informed participants on their health care team.

05/21/2013

Ambulatory Health Care, Hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, Behavioral Health Care, Laboratory Services, Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Office-Based Surgery, Home Care, Advanced Certification , Disease-Specific Care, Health Care Staffing Services, Palliative Care

Speak Up: What You Should Know About Adult Depression

Everybody feels blue or sad sometimes. Depression is more than just feeling sad. When you are depressed you lose interest in activities, and you may feel overwhelmed, agitated or isolated.

Related Topics: Mental Health, Suicide, Depression, Speak Up

05/21/2013

Speak Up: Information for Living Organ Donors

Every year nearly 6,000 Americans become living organ donors. Usually, they donate a kidney. But donors can also give a part of their liver, lung or pancreas.

Related Topics: Speak Up, Organ Donation, General Public

05/16/2013

Speak Up: What You Should Know About Pain Management

There are many different causes and kinds of pain. Pain can be caused by injury, illness, sickness, disease or surgery. Treating pain is the responsibility of your doctor, Nurses and other caregivers.

05/16/2013

Speak Up: Help Avoid Mistakes in Your Surgery

Mistakes can happen during surgery. Surgeons can do the wrong surgery. They can operate on the wrong part of your body. Or they can operate on the wrong person. Hospitals and other...

Related Topics: General Public, Speak Up

03/15/2013

Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

Speak Up: Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

Everyone has a role in making health care safe. That includes doctors, nurses, nursing assistants and other caregivers. Nursing and rehabilitation centers all across the country are working to make health care safe. You can make your care safer by being active, involved, and informed.

03/13/2013

Home Care

Speak Up: Home Care

Everyone has a role in making health care safe. That includes family members, caregivers, doctors and health care professionals. Home care agencies all across the country are working to make health care safe. As the patient, you can make your care safer by being active, involved and informed.

03/12/2013

Facts about Pain Management

It is estimated that in the United States more than 76 million people suffer from pain. Pain can be chronic or acute, such as post-surgical pain.

02/27/2013

Speak Up Video Posters Available in English and Spanish

Encourage patients and their families to Speak Up with these fun, colorful posters that feature the engaging characters from the Speak Up videos.

Related Topics: Speak Up Videos, Speak Up

02/26/2013

Facts about patient safety

The Joint Commission is committed to improving health care safety. This commitment is inherent in its mission to continuously improve health care for the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating health care organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe. . .

01/18/2013

Ambulatory Health Care, Hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, Behavioral Health Care, Laboratory Services, Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Office-Based Surgery, Home Care, Advanced Certification , Disease-Specific Care, Health Care Staffing Services, Bureau of Primary Health Care

Tackle your organization’s challenges using Joint Commission tools

Tools ready for use by C-Suite leaders and organizational quality and safety teams.

01/10/2013

Ambulatory Health Care, Hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, Behavioral Health Care, Laboratory Services, Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Home Care

Speak Up: Five Things You Can Do To Prevent Infection

Avoiding contagious diseases like the common cold, strep throat, and the flu is important to everyone. Here are five easy things you can do to fight the spread of infection.

11/30/2012

Universal Protocol (Poster)

Mistakes can happen during surgery. Surgeons can do the wrong surgery. They can operate on the wrong part of your body. Or they can operate on the wrong person.

11/26/2012

Ambulatory Health Care, Hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, Behavioral Health Care, Laboratory Services, Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Office-Based Surgery, Home Care, Advanced Certification , Disease-Specific Care, Health Care Staffing Services, Bureau of Primary Health Care

Speak Up: What you need to know about your serious illness and palliative care

When you have a serious illness or health problem, you may need palliative care. Palliative care is special health care that can ease pain and other symptoms and side effects from your illness or treatment.

10/10/2012

Speak Up: Know Your Rights

This brochure has been updated to include language from the new Patient-Centered Communication Standards for Hospitals, which require that patients have the right to care that is free from discrimination. In addition, you will find questions and answers to help you find out about your rights. . .

07/20/2012

Facts about patient-centered communications

Effective communication is critical to the successful delivery of health care services.

07/05/2012

Speak Up: What you should know about stroke

A stroke can be devastating to patients and their families. Strokes can range from mild to severe and can happen at any age. They can occur in different parts of the brain and may affect different body functions.

Related Topics: Poster, Stroke, Speak Up

02/01/2012

Speak Up: What you need to know about breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is natural for you and your baby, but it is a skill that needs to be learned. Speak up and ask questions about breastfeeding before your baby is born and while you are in the hospital. This will help you continue to breastfeed after you go home.

Related Topics: Speak Up, Speak Up Poster

08/01/2011

Speak Up: Planning Your Follow-up Care

Before leaving the hospital, you should be given written instructions about your follow-up care. This brochure provides questions to help you get the information you need for the best follow-up care.

06/08/2011

Hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals

Speak Up: Dialysis - Five ways to be active in your care at the hospital

As a dialysis patient, you have a routine. You go to a dialysis center for dialysis or perform your own dialysis at home. You are actively involved in the daily care of your condition.

03/09/2011

Using Speak Up™ in your organization

Speak Up messages, brochures and posters are currently being used in a variety of ways in Joint Commission accredited organizations, community and civic organizations, and other health care-related companies.

Related Topics: Speak Up, Patient Safety

03/08/2011

Speak Up: Help Prevent Errors in Your Care

Everyone has a role in making health care safe. That includes doctors, health care executives, nurses and many health care technicians. Health care organizations all across the country are working to make health care safe.

01/18/2011

Speak Up: Prevent Errors in Your Child's Care

Your child’s health and safety are important to doctors, Nurses, and other caregivers. You can make a difference in your child’s care by asking the right questions and being actively involved.

Related Topics: General Public, Speak Up, Child Care

01/18/2011

Hospitals

Speak Up: Diabetes - Five Ways to be Active in Your Care at the Hospital

Living with diabetes can make you good at managing the ups and downs of the disease.

Related Topics: General Public, Speak Up, Patient Rights

11/03/2010

The Joint Commission

Accreditation

Accreditation Top Spots

Certification

Certification Top Spots

Standards Information

Standards Quick Links

Measurement

Quick Links

Topics

Information For

About Us

Quick Links

Topic Library

Topic Library Resources

Speak Up: Tips for Your Doctor's Visit

Facts about Speak Up™ Initiatives

Speak Up: What You Should Know About Adult Depression

Speak Up: Information for Living Organ Donors

Speak Up: What You Should Know About Pain Management

Speak Up: Help Avoid Mistakes in Your Surgery

Speak Up: Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

Speak Up: Home Care

Facts about Pain Management

Speak Up Video Posters Available in English and Spanish

Facts about patient safety

Tackle your organization’s challenges using Joint Commission tools

Speak Up: Five Things You Can Do To Prevent Infection

Universal Protocol (Poster)

Speak Up: What you need to know about your serious illness and palliative care

Speak Up: Know Your Rights

Facts about patient-centered communications

Speak Up: What you should know about stroke

Speak Up: What you need to know about breastfeeding

Speak Up: Planning Your Follow-up Care

Speak Up: Dialysis - Five ways to be active in your care at the hospital

Using Speak Up™ in your organization

Speak Up: Help Prevent Errors in Your Care

Speak Up: Prevent Errors in Your Child's Care

Speak Up: Diabetes - Five Ways to be Active in Your Care at the Hospital