Joint Commission International (JCI) has released updated international accreditation standards for hospitals. The standards will be the basis of JCI’s on-site hospital accreditation survey, beginning January 1, 2008.

The revised standards maintain JCI’s focus on providing a framework for hospitals around the world to use to deliver, safe, high-quality care. Notable changes include the following:

Giving additional importance to the role of hospital leaders in overseeing all areas of performance, including standards related to the role leadership must take to set and implement priorities for ongoing organizational performance and improvement

Publishing six International Patient Safety Goals, which were introduced as part of the JCI survey process this year, along with intent statements and measurable elements

Strengthening credentialing and privileging standards for health care professionals

Strengthening quality and patient safety standards that require root cause analysis for sentinel events, analysis for all adverse events and patterns of events, at least one proactive analysis process each year, and adoption and use of at least one clinical practice guideline and clinical pathway each year.

Revisions to JCI standards were based on feedback from Regional Advisory Councils in Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East, surveyors, accredited organizations, staff, and health care experts. The standards also were subject to a field review.

JCI has been accrediting hospitals worldwide since 1999. Accreditation standards are based on international consensus standards and set uniform, achievable expectations for structures, processes and outcomes for hospitals. The accreditation process is designed to accommodate specific legal, religious, and cultural factors within a country.