The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits more than 18,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. Accreditation by the Joint Commission is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality which indicates that an organization meets certain performance standards. To earn and maintain accreditation, an organization must undergo an on-site survey by a Joint Commission survey team at least every three years. The Joint Commission's standards address the organization's level of performance in key functional areas, such as patient rights. The standards focus on what the organization has and what it actually does.
Standards set forth performance expectations for activities that affect the quality of patient care.
If an organization does the right things and does them well, there is a strong likelihood that its patients will experience good outcomes. The Joint Commission develops its standards in consultation with health care experts, providers, measurement experts, purchasers and consumers. The Joint Commission is governed by a 28-member Board of Commissioners which includes nurses, physicians, consumers, medical directors, administrators, providers, employers, labor representatives, health plan leaders, quality experts, ethicists, health insurance administrators and educators. They bring to the Joint Commission countless years of diverse experience in health care, business and public policy. Healthcare organizations voluntarily undergo surveys by a full team of Joint Commission experts every three years.