R3 Report Issue 34: New and Revised Standards in Emergency Management
Effective July 1, 2022, new and revised Emergency Management standards will apply to all Joint Commission–accredited hospitals and critical access hospitals. The Joint Commission began conducting a critical analysis of its “Emergency Management” (EM) chapter in 2019. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Joint Commission received numerous inquiries pertaining to emergency plans and response procedures. Based on the work already being performed on the EM chapter and the questions and issues that arose during the pandemic, the entire EM chapter for hospitals and critical access hospitals has been restructured to provide a meaningful framework for a successful emergency management program. The changes in the EM chapter include a new numbering system, elimination of redundant requirements, and the addition of new requirements. This restructuring resulted in a reduction in the number of elements of performance from 124 to 60.
In addition to an extensive literature review and public field review, The Joint Commission sought expert guidance from the following groups:
- Standards review panel of more than 50 members who have current roles in emergency management. Members included representation from hospitals and critical access hospitals or other professional organizations. The members provided a frontline point of view and insights into the practical application of the proposed standards.
- Joint Commission workgroup of life-safety code field directors, standards interpretation group-engineers, field staff clinical surveyors (physicians and nurses), and staff from standards and survey methods.
The prepublication version of the Emergency Management standards will be available online until June 30, 2022. After July 1, 2022, please access the new requirements in the E-dition or standards manual.