Compliance News: TJC Infection Control Standards for Medical Equipment, Devices and Supplies

By Dean Samet, CHS

For 2010, The Joint Commission (TJC) has made several changes to its infection control standard IC.02.02 .01 including a new “rationale” and revisions to elements of performance EP1 and EP2 which clarify requirements to reduce the risks associated with medical equipment, devices and supplies.

According to an October 2009 The Joint Commission Perspectives article, several significant issues have emerged related to the cleaning, disinfecting and sterilizing of medical equipment, devices, and supplies.  TJC cites an example of the proper use of steam sterilizers as discussed in the July 2009 Perspectives.  Medical technology and instrumentation is a rapid and ever-changing field where new devices and new or resistant pathogens are emerging at an unprecedented rate.

Compliance News: TJC Alert on Violence Rising at Health Care Facilities

By Dean Samet, CHSP


 In a June 3, 2010 News Release, The Joint Commission introduced Sentinel Event Alert Issue 45: Preventing violence in the health care setting. Health care facilities are confronted with and facing increased rates of violent crimes including assault, rape and homicide.  TJC defines a sentinel event as “an unexpected occurrence involving death or serious physical or psychological injury, or the risk thereof.  Serious injury specifically includes loss of limb or function.  The phrase, “or the risk thereof,” includes any process variation for which a recurrence would carry a significant chance of a serious adverse outcome.  Such events are called “sentinel” because they signal the need for immediate investigation and response.”

The Joint Commission’s SEA Issue 45 suggested actions follow:

Compliance News: TJC Elminates 16 Hospital EPs

By Dean Samet, CHSP



The Joint Commission eliminated 16 elements of performance (EPs) from their hospital accreditation program with a July 1, 2010 effective date, as announced in the June 9, 2010 Joint Commission Online publication.


These and other EPs went through an extensive evaluation process as part of TJC’s internal Robust Process Improvement (RPI) initiative started in mid-2008. The RPI establishes a measurement ranking scale against which all standards for all of TJC programs will purportedly be evaluated going forward. As part of this evaluation, more than 300 hospitals were invited to provide their perceptions of what constitutes a “valuable” standard and which standards they believed contributed the least value towardquality and safety.  TJC defines a valuable standard as one that: