New Advanced Certification Offered for Total Hip, Total Knee Replacement

OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. — The Joint Commission is offering a new advanced certification for total hip and total knee replacement for Joint Commission-accredited hospitals, critical-access hospitals, and ambulatory surgery centers seeking to elevate the quality, consistency, and safety of their services and patient care.

The advanced-certification program addresses transitions of care for patients undergoing total hip and total knee replacement surgeries. The Joint Commission developed this program due to growth in the number of patients undergoing total hip or total knee replacement surgeries and the increased focus on clinical, evidence-based patient care as it relates to pain management, quality-of-life issues faced by patients in need of joint replacement, functional limitations in mobility, and the return to normal daily activities.

An organization must have achieved Joint Commission Hospital, Critical Access Hospital, or Ambulatory Care accreditation in order to be eligible for this certification program. Organizations must also meet the general eligibility requirements of Joint Commission disease-specific certification.

“Achieving advanced certification for total hip and total knee replacement recognizes an organization’s commitment to provide care in a safe and efficient manner for their patients,” said Wendi Roberts, executive director of certification for the Joint Commission. “The advanced certification will give providers an unparalleled advantage when it comes to providing coordinated and comprehensive care to patients undergoing a total hip or total knee replacement.”

The advanced certification focuses on:

• The continuum of care and all transitions that occur within each phase of care, beginning with the orthopedic consultation through the post-operative phase and follow-up visit with the orthopedic surgeon;

• Education of the total hip and total knee replacement patient in the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative phases, addressing co-morbid assessments, risk factors, postoperative rehabilitation, and discharge planning;

• Shared decision making that includes the patient throughout the continuum of care; and

• Consistent communication and collaboration between all healthcare providers involved in the care of the patients throughout the continuum of care.

In accordance with the Joint Commission’s standards-development process, Joint Commission staff convened a technical advisory panel of multi-disciplinary clinical experts to discuss how to evaluate programs seeking advanced total hip and total knee replacement certification. Staff also conducted a field review and pilot surveys to assess the current state of joint-replacement care services and the operational challenges in addressing the continuum of care.

Organizations interested in advanced certification for total hip and total knee replacement can request an application. For more information, e-mail certification@jointcommission.org or call (630) 792-5291.