The Joint Commission’s 2024 Infection Control Standards: A Complete Guide for Healthcare Facilities
Share this article
The Joint Commission announced significant changes to infection control standards taking effect July 1, 2024. This comprehensive update represents a major shift in how healthcare facilities will approach infection control and high-consequence infectious disease preparedness.
Key Changes
The most notable change is the reduction in standards and elements of performance. The Joint Commission has consolidated from 12 standards with 51 elements to 4 standards with 14 elements. The updates prioritize essential infection control measures like proper hand hygiene, cough etiquette, and appropriate PPE use and align language and requirements with Centers for Medicaid and Medicare (CMS) guidelines. These updates remove repetition and simplify the standards, reducing interpretation challenges facilities previously faced. In addition, The Joint Commission created a new Infection Control (IC) Assessment Tool that details the IC practices and structures needed to meet the IC requirements, shifting survey focus from documentation review to practical implementation.
High-Consequence Infectious Disease Preparedness
One of the four updated standards is IC.07.01.01, focuses on High-Consequence Infectious Disease (HCID) preparedness. The standard describes three elements of performance with six distinct elements:
- Screening must be implemented at entry points to a facility, whether that is defined as emergency departments, urgent care centers, or clinics at your institution, with clear procedures for identifying special pathogen signs and symptoms, fever, rash, and documenting travel history.
- Isolation procedures must detail transmission-based precautions, room placement guidelines, and staff entry/exit protocols.
- Communication protocols need to specify procedures for notifying public health authorities and internal staff, including documentation requirements and chain of command guidelines.
- PPE requirements must outline selection criteria, donning/doffing procedures, competency verification methods, and supply management protocols.
- Patient care protocols during isolation must address care delivery guidelines, staff safety measures, equipment usage, and documentation requirements.
- Finally, waste management protocols should detail proper disposal procedures, cleaning protocols, equipment disinfection guidelines, and environmental services training.
Implementation Flexibility
Organizations maintain significant control over implementation strategies. For competency assessment, facilities can define competency and its application within their organizational policies, including priority staff groups, training frequency, assessment methods, and documentation of the verification processes. Training programs can be customized with department-specific requirements, delivery methods, refresher schedules, and success criteria. Documentation systems can be electronic or paper-based, with facilities determining their preferred organization methods, audit procedures, and review schedules.
Available Support Resources
The Joint Commission offers extensive support through online standards, R3 report guidance, Standards Interpretation Group (SIG) consultation, and assessment tool templates. NETEC also provides technical assistance, training materials, consultation services, and supports regional coordination. Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Centers (RESPTC) offer expertise in protocol development, training support, and emergency response coordination.
The Joint Commission Resources
Infection Prevention & Control Resource Center
Standards for Purchase (The Joint Commission, https://www.jcrinc.com/-/media/jcr/jcr-documents/products/publications/2025-pubs-general-catalog_interactive.pdf, Accessed 2/2024)
Additional Resources
Self-led Infection Control Evaluation (SLICE): The Self-Led Infection Control Evaluation tool, developed by The Nebraska Medical Center and funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), empowers Infection Preventionists in small and rural acute care facilities to evaluate and strengthen their IPC programs.
NETEC Webinar: Introduction to The Joint Commission Standards for Infection Control
Implementation Timeline
The new standards went live on July 1, 2024, so healthcare facilities that have not amended their protocols should begin preparation immediately. Initial activities should include a focused review of current protocols, completing a gap analysis, and assessing educational resources. Following review, organizational leaders and infection control experts should emphasize protocol development, update relevant documents, and roll out staff training, including competency assessments. Facilities should achieve full implementation prior to their Joint Commission accreditation survey with activated monitoring systems and compliance verification processes.
These comprehensive changes reflect The Joint Commission’s commitment to maintaining high safety standards while reducing administrative burden. Success requires careful planning, adequate resources, and organizational commitment. For detailed guidance or support on addressing IC.07.01.01 (HCID Standards), healthcare facilities can contact NETEC or their RESPTC and visit The Joint Commission website.
About the Authors
Caroline Croyle Persson, MPH, MPA, CPH, CIC, PMP, FAPIC
Caroline Croyle Persson is the Program Director for the Mountain Plains Regional Disaster Health Response System and biocontainment unit at Denver Health. Her work focuses on healthcare emergency management, coordination and collaboration, and capacity building to enhance healthcare preparedness and response efforts. Prior to her current role, Mrs. Persson worked in infection prevention and control with a focus on influenza, emergency management, high risk pathogens, program and policy management, hand hygiene, and regulatory compliance. She has worked on various public health projects prior to arriving at Denver Health spanning malaria prevention, community health worker sustainment, emergency management, and HIV/AIDs mobile health application acceptance. Mrs. Persson has an MPH from Columbia University with a certificate in Infectious Disease Epidemiology and an MPA from the University of Colorado Denver.
Angela Vasa, MSN, RN
Angela Vasa is the Director of Biopreparedness and Special Pathogen Programs at Nebraska Medicine. She serves as the Director of Consulting Services and Metrics Development at NETEC and is the Program Director for the Region VII Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Center. Angela is also a scholar in the Global Center for Health Security at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Her nursing background includes over a decade of clinical experience with specialized expertise in the areas of trauma, critical care, solid organ transplant, and high-consequence infectious diseases. She joined the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit team in 2009 and continues to be an active clinical member while serving as the program director.
Get Expert Assistance
Ask a NETEC expert a question or request free services for your facility.
Find Resources
Explore special pathogen resources created and curated by NETEC experts.