Standards for Ambulatory Care due 1 Jan 2019

The 4th Edition of the Joint Commission International (JCI) Standards for Ambulatory Care will be published on 1 January 2019 with an effective date of 1 July 2019.

As part of the development of a new edition of the standards manual, focus groups were conducted with participants from JCI accredited health care organisations. The purpose was to offer customers an opportunity to provide feedback on the current set of standards and changes they would like to see in the upcoming revisions of the standards. Focus group participants were asked specific questions designed to encourage candid, open discussion of opinions with other participants.

In March and April, focus groups were conducted in the UAE and Brazil with the purpose of obtaining feedback on the JCI Standards for Ambulatory Care. Discussions began with a request for clarification on the types of services provided in ambulatory care settings and the extent of community involvement and integration. Other topics included:

  • Revising the standards related to supply chain management and handover communications
  • Adding standards addressing antibiotic stewardship and global infections
  • Including new requirements for staff health and safety
  • Addressing issues associated with changes in information technology
  • Updating the international patient safety goals

Data gathered from the focus groups will be merged with information from literature reviews, current industry standards, and practice recommendations to direct revisions on the standards.