What is the Joint Commission mission?

• A. To regulate hospital pricing and reimbursement
• B. To maintain a registry of healthcare professionals
• C. To certify medical devices
• D. To continuously improve healthcare quality and safety through evaluation and collaboration

Answer: (D)

The main idea is that the Joint Commission exists to continually raise the quality and safety of health care by evaluating organizations and working with them to improve. It’s an independent nonprofit that develops performance standards, conducts on-site surveys, and accredits hospitals and other care settings. Through this evaluation and collaboration, the aim is to help providers implement safer, higher-quality care. The other options describe functions of different entities (pricing and reimbursement regulation, professional licensing registries, device certification by regulatory agencies), not the Joint Commission’s mission. So the statement about ongoing improvement of quality and safety through evaluation and collaboration best reflects the Joint Commission’s mission.