The Joint Commission has released notice that (effective January 1, 2024) the current definition of suicide will be revised for their Sentinel Event Policy. This revision applies to all Joint Commission accreditation and certification programs, except the Health Care Staffing Services Certification, Integrated Care Certification, Sustainable Healthcare Certification, and Maternal Levels of Care Verification programs.
This change is being made to extend the time frame and health services in which a patient receives care where suicide should be considered as a sentinel event. This supports the increased responsibilities of organizations in assessing for and mitigating suicide risk of their patients.
Organizations are encouraged to review the new definitions in the most current version of the Sentinel Event Policy, see the “Sentinel Event Policy” (SE) chapter on E-dition® or in your Comprehensive Accreditation Manual or visit The Joint Commission’s Sentinel Event Policy and Procedures page. Organizations may also contact The Joint Commission via the ASKOQPS tab on your organization’s Joint Commission Connect® extranet site for more clarification.
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