AAOS, The Joint Commission Collaborate on THKR Certification

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AAOS, The Joint Commission Collaborate on THKR Certification

OCTOBER 2018

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) has collaborated with The Joint Commission to incorporate AAOS' clinical expertise into standards development and performance measurement requirements for Total Hip and Knee Replacement (THKR) Certification, according to a release. The Joint Commission established the voluntary advanced certification in 2016 for accredited ASCs, hospitals and critical access hospitals seeking to elevate the quality, consistency and safety of their services and patient care.

Through the new collaboration, the AAOS and The Joint Commission will jointly oversee scientific issues, performance measurement, quality improvement activities, education, data sharing and research related to the certification, with continued commitment to assessing and evaluating quality for the safety and benefit of orthopaedic patients. This includes, as of January 1, 2019, implementation of a new THKR certification requirement for ASCs and hospitals to participate in a national registry, like the American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR) that contains more than 1.4 million procedures in its database, to further help standardize care and quality improvement in hip and knee replacements.

Awarded for a two‐year period, the THKR certification addresses the growing number of patients undergoing total hip or total knee replacement surgeries and increases focus on clinical evidence‐based patient care as it relates to pain management, quality of life issues, functional limitation in mobility and return to normal daily activities. It provides ASCs and hospitals performing orthopaedic procedures with a framework and pathway for improving patient outcomes by:

  • establishing a consistent approach to care, reducing variation and the risk of error;
  • supporting collaboration of teams across the continuum of care; and
  • demonstrating commitment to a higher standard of clinical service.

To receive certification, organizations must successfully undergo a rigorous onsite review by Joint Commission experts to evaluate compliance with advanced disease‐specific care standards and total hip and total knee replacement requirements, including orthopaedic consultation, and pre‐operative, intraoperative and post‐surgical orthopaedic surgeon follow‐up care.

“The Academy continues to make great strides in serving our profession and reaffirming its strategic commitment to provide the highest quality in musculoskeletal care,” said David A. Halsey, MD, president of AAOS, in the release. “Last fall, we pledged to create a national family of clinical data registries for a broad range of orthopaedic conditions and procedures. We started with the reintegration of the AJRR into the AAOS as we continue to grow the family of registries. This collaboration with The Joint Commission and the THKR program is a practical way for us to even better equip orthopaedic surgeons to continue to advance the quality of musculoskeletal care.”

Said David Baker, MD, executive vice president of Division of Healthcare Quality Evaluation at The Joint Commission, in the release, “Organizations that achieve The Joint Commission’s already rigorous Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement Certification will gain an even stronger foundation for ensuring highly reliable high‐quality care and outcomes for their patients through the academy’s collaboration with our program.”