Joint Commission to roll out new maternal care and infectious disease requirements

On July 1, 2018, The Joint Commission will implement three new elements of performance (EP.) The EPs are intended to reduce the risk of diseases like HIV and syphilis being passed from mother to child during birth. The accreditor made the announcement in the latest R3 Report, with the aim of protecting both the mother and child from harm.

“The requirements will help improve maternal and neonatal health in Joint Commission accredited hospitals and critical access hospitals across the country,” Kathy Clark, MSN, RN, Joint Commission associate project director specialist, Division of Health Care Quality Evaluation, said in a press release. “If left undiagnosed or untreated, infectious diseases can be extremely dangerous and even life-threatening, so it is critical that testing and treatment for both the woman and baby is completed according to clinical practice guidelines.”

The EPs require providers to test pregnant women for certain diseases that could be transmitted to the child during birth: HIV, hepatitis B, group B streptococcus and syphilis. The results are then documented in the patient’s medical record for providers to act upon.