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TECH Talk: The Joint Commission (TJC) New Scoring

10.26.2018 • Industry News

The Joint Commission’s Infection Control (IC) standard IC.02.02.01 is the most commonly cited standards for noncompliance, with 72% of surveyed hospitals found to be noncompliant on this standard in 2017. Due to the high noncompliance rate of this standard, The Joint Commission has refined its scoring to focus on the highest-risk process steps in high-level disinfection (HLD) and sterilization.

For example, ensuring instruments are in the open position throughout the cleaning, disinfection, sterilization, and storage process is one area that The Joint Commission has implemented revised scoring and additional emphasis.

New scoring revisions for IC.02.02.01 (effective immediately):

Instruments in closed position:

  • Packaged instruments awaiting sterilization are in the closed/ratcheted position
  • Items that have just undergone sterilization are on the trolley or in the sterilizer in the closed/ratcheted position
  • Items in preparation and packaging that have come through the washer or pass-through window have not been disassembled in accordance with manufacturer instruction

Instrument Stringers and Instrument Tip Caps are great options to ensure your instruments remain open throughout the cleaning, sterilization, and storage process.



TECH TALK Tip: For more information on The Joint Commission’s refined scoring for Infection Control standard IC.02.02.01, visit: The Joint Commission IC.02.02.01 Revised Scoring.

Brandon VanHee
Clinical Education Manager
Key Surgical

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