The Five Most Challenging Joint Commission Requirements for the First Half of 2018

​Joint Commission has released its top five most challenging requirements for the first half of 2018, with the requirement to provide and maintain systems for extinguishing fires causing hospitals particular trouble. Eighty-eight percent of hospitals were deemed noncompliant in meeting this requirement during the first half of 2018. The next most common reasons for noncompliance among accredited hospitals were managing risks associated with utility systems (80% noncompliant); reducing the risks of infections associated with medical equipment, devices, and supplies (74%); establishing and maintaining a safe and functional environment (73%); and providing and maintaining building features to protect individuals from fire and smoke (72%). For critical access hospitals, failure to maintain fire extinguishing systems was the second most common reason for noncompliance (80%), trailing only utility-system risks (82% noncompliant).