The healthcare sector contributes nearly 5.2% of global greenhouse gas emissions while facing increasing health impacts from climate change, according to a 2022 report of the Lancet Countdown. As healthcare organizations strive to decarbonize and become more resilient, Joint Commission International (JCI), in collaboration with the International Hospital Federation’s Geneva Sustainability Centre (GSC), recently announced a new international Healthcare Sustainability Certification (HSC).
The HSC program, effective Jan. 1, 2025, is available to healthcare organizations outside the United States and its territories that are accelerating their sustainable practices and seeking formal recognition. For the first time, this certification is available to any institution whether JCI accredited or not. The certification provides a framework to help healthcare leaders initiate sustainability priorities and develop a formal governance structure to gain successful results.
“Together, Joint Commission International and the International Hospital Federation are supporting and celebrating healthcare organizations around the world that are leading the way in sustainable healthcare,” said Jonathan B. Perlin, MD, PhD, president and chief executive officer, The Joint Commission and Joint Commission International. “These organizations inspire others to follow in their footsteps so that healthcare can become more resilient, able to serve patients and communities during extreme weather events, and provide meaningful and lasting benefits for the health of the planet.”
U.S. hospitals and critical access hospitals may apply for The Joint Commission’s Sustainable Healthcare Certification, which has been available since Jan. 1, 2024.
Effective Jan. 1, 2025, The Joint Commission has approved new and revised standards and elements of performance (EPs) for most Disease-Specific Care (DSC) Certification Programs. The DSC certification standards and EPs were significantly revised, including eliminating or revising requirements that do not add value to the certification and review process. These requirements were evaluated for the following:
- How often the requirement was scored.
- Whether the requirement was clear.
- Whether the requirement was redundant to another.
- Whether the requirement supported patient safety and quality of care.
As illustrated below, many requirements were revised or completely removed from each of the five chapters. In addition, new concepts were added to the certification requirements, such as providing community outreach/education based on services provided and incorporating patient perception of care to inform program improvement initiatives. EPs rarely or never scored were eliminated if they did not add value to the certification process. As a result, the DSC Certification Program requirements were reduced by 57%.
Chapters with the numbers of current, deleted and new/revised EPs
- Program Management (DSPR) – 38 current EPs; 17 deleted EPs; 21 new/revised EPs
- Delivering or Facilitating Clinical Care (DSDF) – 31 current EPs; 19 deleted EPs; 12 new/revised EPs
- Supporting Self-Management (DSSE) – 16 current EPs; 7 deleted EPs; 9 new/revised EPs
- Clinical Information Management (DSCT) – 22 current EPs; 17 deleted EPs; 5 new/revised EPs
- Performance Measurement (DSPM) – 31 current EPs; 18 deleted EPs; 13 new/revised EPs
Totals = 138 current EPs; 78 deleted EPs; 60 new/revised EPs
Aligning addenda for select Advanced DSC Certification Programs
The addenda specific to most advanced DSC Certification Programs will move under new EPs; however, addenda content will not change. In the future, these addenda will be revised to cohesively align with the new and revised EPs. These revised requirements do not affect the intent of the Advanced DSC Certification Programs or their program-specific requirements.
The advanced certifications for Lung Volume Reduction Surgery (LVRS) and Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) are not part of these revisions. The standards and EPs for these programs remain unchanged.
Healthcare organizations can access:
- A high-level overview of the new and revised requirements will be posted on the Prepublication Standards page of The Joint Commission’s website.
- A comprehensive copy of the new and revised requirements for basic and/or advanced DSC programs is available on an organization’s Joint Commission Connect® extranet site under the “Important Updates” section.
The new and revised requirements will publish online in the fall 2024 E-dition® update to the Comprehensive Certification Manual for Disease-Specific Care (DSC). For those who purchase them, the PDF version of the 2025 DSC manual, and the hard-copy and PDF versions of the 2025 Orthopedic Certification Standards Manual and 2025 Stroke Certification Standards Manual will include these new and revised requirements.
For more information, please contact your account executive.
The Joint Commission and Joint Commission International proudly recognize World Patient Safety Day, an annual observance sponsored by the World Health Organization, that aligns with our commitment to ensuring what matters most – that all people always experience the safest, highest quality, best value healthcare across all settings.
This year’s theme, improving diagnosis for patient safety, energizes us. Data show that 16% of preventable patient harm stems from delayed, wrong, or missed diagnoses – or the failure to communicate a diagnosis, highlighting a significant opportunity to improve patient outcomes worldwide.
All healthcare organizations and international stakeholders play a role in improving patient safety. Learn more about how The Joint Commission and Joint Commission International support our stakeholders through our HELP Agenda, access complimentary resources for your organization, and learn how you can participate in World Patient Safety Day.
The 2024-2025 Joint Commission Publications catalog is now available. Browse our gallery of periodicals, books, e-books, and manuals to find trusted prep and readiness resources, practical checklists and tools, as well as our complete collection of accreditation and certification standards manuals, and resources on specialized quality and patient safety topics.