Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations

Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO),

a private nongovernmental agency that establishes guidelines for the operation of hospitals and other health care facilities, conducts accreditation programs and surveys, and encourages the attainment of high standards of institutional medical care in the United States. Members of the JCAHO include representatives from the American Medical Association, American College of Physicians, American College of Surgeons, American Dental Association, and American Hospital Association.

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Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations,

n.pr the United States body that accredits healthcare organizations.

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Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO/TJC),

n.pr formerly the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals. The JCAHO conducts accreditation programs for most of the health care facilities in the United States. The American Dental Association is a corporate member of the JCAHO. Hospitals and clinics are surveyed on a regular basis for compliance with the standards and criteria for accreditation.

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Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations

Hospital practice An independent, nonprofit organization sponsored by a number of medical associations that performs accreditation reviews primarily on hospitals, other institutional facilities, outpatient facilities and healthcare organizations, the purpose of which is to maintain a high standard of institutional care, by both establishing guidelines for the operation of hospitals and other–psychiatric, ambulatory and long-term healthcare facilities, 'policing' those facilities through surveys and periodic inspections