New and revised workplace violence prevention requirements for ambulatory care organizations and laboratories
New and revised workplace violence prevention requirements for Joint Commission-accredited ambulatory care organizations and laboratories will be effective July 1, 2025. The new and revised requirements address the safety of patients, staff, and visitors, and provide a framework for organizations to develop effective workplace violence prevention strategies. The requirements address:
- Defining workplace violence, including a formal definition added to the Glossary
- Developing worksite analysis processes
- Outlining leadership oversight
- Developing policies and procedures
- Reporting systems, data collection, and analysis
- Implementing post-incident strategies
- Providing training and education
Workplace violence poses a significant occupational hazard for healthcare workers. However, its prevalence may be underestimated due to underreporting, as incidents are often perceived as minor.
These requirements align with similar updates for critical access hospitals and hospitals, behavioral health care and human services organizations, home care organizations, assisted living communities, nursing care centers, and office-based surgery practices.
The new and revised requirements will publish online in the spring 2025 E-dition® update to the manuals for the ambulatory care and laboratory programs.
For more information, please contact the Joint Commission’s Department of Standards and Survey Methods.
See the Prepublication Standards.