Product Description

Joint Commission International Accreditation Standards for Hospitals, 7^th Edition, provides the basis for accreditation of hospitals throughout the world. Joint Commission International (JCI) standards define the performance expectations, structures, and functions that must be in place for a hospital to be accredited by JCI. 

The standards are divided into two main sections: 1) patient-centered care and 2) health care organization management. In addition, two chapters are included for hospitals that meet eligibility criteria for academic medical center accreditation—these standards address additional requirements for medical professional education and human subjects research.

Within each section, standards are separated into chapters. Each standard includes an intent and measurable elements. The intent describes the rationale for the standard and provides examples (when applicable) on the application of the standards.  The measurable elements are the specific requirements of the standard. In addition to the standards chapters, an introduction, the eligibility requirements, the Accreditation Participation Requirements (APR), a summary of key accreditation policies, a glossary, and an index are included. 

Translations of the 7^th edition hospital standards are available as a PDF only. For a list of other available translations, please select the drop-down menu next to “Language.”

Highlights of Changes:

• Develop and implement a process to improve the safety of look-alike/sound-alike medications. 
• Develop and implement risk reduction strategies for managing clinical alarm systems
• Establish a process to identify patients at risk for suicide and self-harm 
• Establish and implement a program for the use of lasers and other optical radiation devices 
• Address cleaning and disinfection of the environment and environmental surfaces 
• Implement interim measures to address safety of the building’s occupants during construction, maintenance, or a breakdown or repair
• Introduced new Patient Centered Care (PCC) chapter by consolidating Patient and Family Rights (PFR) and Patient and Family Education (PFE) chapters.

Key Features:

• Summary of changes to standards requirements
• Chapter overviews describing the focus of each chapter
• List of standards-only at the beginning of each chapter for quick reference
• Updated and new references providing evidence and support for key topics in the standards
• Accreditation Participation Requirements (APRs)

Corrections to 7th Edition:

The current 7th Edition Hospital Standards includes typographical corrections and other clarifications as of 20 October 2020. (Note: The translated versions of the Hospital Standards do not include these corrections.) Please click here for a complete list of the corrections.

Table of Contents

• Summary of Changes to the Manual
• Introduction
  • The Value of JCI Accreditation
  • Standards Development Process
  • How This Manual Is Organized
  • Applying the Standards in Your Organization
  • Using the Standards Manual
  • General Eligibility Requirements
• Section I: Accreditation Participation Requirement
  • Accreditation Participation Requirements (APR)
• Section II: Patient-Centered Standards
  • International Patient Safety Goals (IPSG)
  • Access to Care and Continuity of Care (ACC)
  • Patient-Centered Care (PCC)
  • Assessment of Patients (AOP)
  • Care of Patients (COP)
  • Anesthesia and Surgical Care (ASC)
  • Medication Management and Use (MMU)
• Section III: Health Care Organization Management Standards
  • Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (QPS)
  • Prevention and Control of Infections (PCI)
  • Governance, Leadership, and Direction (GLD)
  • Facility Management and Safety (FMS)
  • Staff Qualifications and Education (SQE)
  • Management of Information (MOI)
• Section IV: Academic Medical Center Hospital Standards
  • Medical Professional Education (MPE)
  • Human Subjects Research Programs (HRP)
• Summary of Key Accreditation Policies
• Glossary
• Index

Effective Date

Important Notice:

The effective date of Joint Commission International Accreditation Standards for Hospitals, 7^th Edition has changed to 1 January 2021.  

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we recognize that hospitals are focused on ensuring safe, quality patient care and may not have enough time to learn and comply with new and revised standards requirements by the scheduled effective date of 1 October 2020.  Therefore, the effective date of these standards is now 1 January 2021.

All hospitals with an accreditation survey scheduled on or before 31 December 2020 will be surveyed under the 6^th edition of the hospital standards.

If you have any questions, please contact JCI.

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