Chart Abstracted Measures
Chart abstraction is the review of medical record documentation from the current episode of care for the purposes of data collection and submission. Measures listed in the specifications manuals section below are chart-abstracted Measures that are part of the performance measurement data submission for accreditation and certification programs.
Over time, it may be necessary to view historical or future versions of the Specifications Manuals as they are associated with very specific data collection time periods (i.e., based on hospital discharge/encounter dates).
The Release Notes for each version of the manual outline the changes associated with that specific release and include corrections and clarifications from the Joint Commission.
Note: Measure specifications available in the manuals below are also used in CMS payment programs (e.g., IMM, TOB, SUB and HBIPS measures are used in Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Quality Reporting Program).
HCSS Certification
The link below lists the current version of the Health Care Staffing Manual detailing specifications for the revised HCSS measures. Future versions of the manual will be added when available. The original Performance Measurement Implementation Guide is also provided as a historic reference.
Assisted Living Community Measures
The link below lists the current version of the Assisted Living Community Measures Manual. Future versions will be added when available.
Hospital Outpatient Measures
The Joint Commission also uses chart-abstracted hospital outpatient measures OP-18 and OP-23. The specifications for these measures are available at the link below.
Social Drivers of Health Measures
The Joint Commission uses chart-abstracted hospital measures SDOH-1 and SDOH-2. The specifications for these measures are available at the link below.
The Joint Commission Guide for Data Entry of Chart-Abstracted Measures describes the aggregate data requirements for hospitals submitting chart-abstracted measure data.
Hospital Accreditation (HAP and CAH)
The Guide is derived from the same year’s Specifications Manual for Joint Commission National Quality Measures and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting Specifications Manual.
Assisted Living Community (ALC)
The Guide is derived from the same year’s Specification Manual for Joint Commission Assisted Living Community Quality Measures.
(Last Updated: July 2023)
The Joint Commission manual is posted on the Performance Measurement Network Q&A Forum. Need more information? See "Ask a New Question" on the Q & A Forum.